How Much Money Did Megyn Kelly Ultimately Get From NBC?
Former NBC talk show host Megyn Kelly and NBC have officially ended their relationship, MarketWatch reports. Both parties came to an agreement after Kelly was terminated halfway through her three-year contract.
Kelly was poached by the network after she left Fox in an effort to broaden its morning talk show footprint. But after two rocky seasons, Kelly’s career at NBC ended after she made a comment about wearing blackface during Halloween in October. Since October NBC and Kelly were in talks about how to resolve her $69 million contract. And it appears that Kelly walked away with a sweetheart deal.
This is what Kelly said to get her fired
During a show around Halloween, Kelly and her panel had a firey conversation about what constituted racism in a Halloween costume. When the discussion turned to wearing blackface as a costume Kelly tried to throw out doubt. “What is racist?” Kelly challenged, Newsweek reports. “Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character.”
A firestorm immediately followed. “Sometimes you say stupid things when you’re live, but I’m just going to be honest,” CNN host Don Lemon shot back. “There were no African Americans [and] no people of color to say, ‘Hey, Megyn. Not cool.”
NBC scrambled after dismissing Kelly
Kelly was dismissed immediately following the Halloween show. Which meant NBC needed to fill the hour-long gap somehow with programming. Rather than introduce a new personality, NBC staffed the time with current Today Show hosts. Plus other NBC personalities pitched in.
This includes Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie, and Craig Melvin. Plus Hoda Kotb and Al Roker took over hosting duties immediately following Kelly’s departure.
But Kelly walked away on top
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Even though Kelly was fired, she leaves with her $69 million intact, according to CNN. “The parties have resolved their differences, and Megyn Kelly is no longer an employee of NBC,” according to the network, CNN reports. This concluding statement comes after months of heated arguments with the host.
Kelly’s attorney, Bryan Freedman accused NBC of spreading false information.”Despite my efforts to handle this process confidentially, NBC News is allowing the media to run with completely false and irresponsible reports that disparage Megyn by erroneously claiming she has ever asked for more money than her contract requires,” Freedman said, CNN reports. “If NBC News is not the source then they have a responsibility as a news division to correct these false claims. Or are they somehow attempting to use these fabrications for some fictitious advantage in the discussions we’re having?”
Eventually, both parties came to a mutual agreement. CNN reports, according to two sources that Kelly will be paid the remainder of her contract. Which is believed to be about $30 million. She is also likely to be held to a nondisclosure contract. Where she is limited about what she can disclose about NBC and network executives.
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