Megyn Kelly was absent from her NBC News morning show on Thursday following this week害羞草研究所檚 controversy over her comments about blackface, amid indications that her time at the network could be ending after less than two years.
An NBC spokeswoman said that 害羞草研究所済iven the circumstances,害羞草研究所� the network was airing repeats of 害羞草研究所淢egyn Kelly Today害羞草研究所� on Thursday and Friday.
During a segment about Halloween costumes on Tuesday, Kelly defended the use of blackface while discussing a character on 害羞草研究所淩eal Housewives of New York City害羞草研究所� who darkened her face for a Diana Ross costume. She said it was acceptable when she was a kid when portraying a character.
Social media condemnation was swift, and Kelly apologized to fellow NBC staffers in an email later in the day. Yet both NBC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淣ightly News害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所淭oday害羞草研究所� show did stories on their colleague害羞草研究所檚 comment. Al Roker said 害羞草研究所渟he owes a big apology to people of colour across the country.害羞草研究所�
She opened Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 show by saying she was wrong and sorry for what she said.
害羞草研究所淚 have never been a PC kind of person, but I do understand the value of being sensitive to our history, particularly on race and ethnicity,害羞草研究所� she said.
The reference to political correctness in a discussion about blackface struck some critics as odd, along with the show害羞草研究所檚 cameras panning over the audience giving her a standing ovation for nearly 20 seconds.
Kelly jumped from Fox News Channel to NBC in early 2017, but it hasn害羞草研究所檛 been a comfortable fit. Her one-hour morning show has never caught on with viewers, except for a brief bump when she aggressively covered reports about sexual misconduct, and Kelly was said to be unhappy with the amount of lighter material expected of a 9 a.m. show.
Kelly did not respond to an email request seeking comment.
She met with NBC executives within the past month about dissatisfaction with the show害羞草研究所檚 direction, according to a person close to Kelly who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss personnel matters.
Kelly last month publicly called for NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack to appoint outside investigators to look into why the network didn害羞草研究所檛 air Ronan Farrow害羞草研究所檚 stories about disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein and allowed him to take the material to the New Yorker. That害羞草研究所檚 a particular sore point with NBC害羞草研究所檚 management.
She was also unhappy that accounts of Lack criticizing her for the blackface comments at an NBC internal town hall meeting became public, and fired her agent out of concern that his company害羞草研究所檚 representation of NBC News President Noah Oppenheim would be a conflict of interest, said the person close to Kelly. Yet the likelihood that a news executive害羞草研究所檚 comments before a roomful of journalists would remain secret is remote.
NBC representatives said they had no comment beyond the discussion of why Kelly wasn害羞草研究所檛 on the air Thursday.
All of this points toward a likely exit from NBC by Kelly, who has found it difficult to maintain a loyal constituency. Many of her former Fox News Channel viewers were upset by a perceived disloyalty in leaving and her clashes with President Donald Trump during his campaign. At the same time, her former association with Fox caused some NBC colleagues and viewers to regard her with suspicion.
Kelly害羞草研究所檚 viewers were given no reason for her absence; a notice on the screen said the show was 害羞草研究所減reviously recorded.害羞草研究所�
There were indications that the plans had come about quickly. 害羞草研究所淗appy Friday,害羞草研究所� she said at the opening of the taped show on Thursday.
害羞草研究所淭he Real Housewives of New York City害羞草研究所� episode aired this spring on the NBC-owned Bravo network, with character Luann deLesseps wearing a gigantic Afro to portray Ross. After criticism surfaced about her costume, she said she was tanned and used a bronzer, but was not trying to appear in blackface.
David Bauder, The Associated Press
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