Megyn Kelly was absent from her NBC News morning show on Thursday following this week91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频済iven the circumstances,91裸聊视频� the network was airing repeats of 91裸聊视频淢egyn Kelly Today91裸聊视频� on Thursday and Friday.
During a segment about Halloween costumes on Tuesday, Kelly defended the use of blackface while discussing a character on 91裸聊视频淩eal Housewives of New York City91裸聊视频� 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 NBC91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淣ightly News91裸聊视频� and the 91裸聊视频淭oday91裸聊视频� show did stories on their colleague91裸聊视频檚 comment. Al Roker said 91裸聊视频渟he owes a big apology to people of colour across the country.91裸聊视频�
She opened Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 show by saying she was wrong and sorry for what she said.
91裸聊视频淚 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,91裸聊视频� she said.
The reference to political correctness in a discussion about blackface struck some critics as odd, along with the show91裸聊视频檚 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 hasn91裸聊视频檛 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 show91裸聊视频檚 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 didn91裸聊视频檛 air Ronan Farrow91裸聊视频檚 stories about disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein and allowed him to take the material to the New Yorker. That91裸聊视频檚 a particular sore point with NBC91裸聊视频檚 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 company91裸聊视频檚 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 executive91裸聊视频檚 comments before a roomful of journalists would remain secret is remote.
NBC representatives said they had no comment beyond the discussion of why Kelly wasn91裸聊视频檛 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.
Kelly91裸聊视频檚 viewers were given no reason for her absence; a notice on the screen said the show was 91裸聊视频減reviously recorded.91裸聊视频�
There were indications that the plans had come about quickly. 91裸聊视频淗appy Friday,91裸聊视频� she said at the opening of the taped show on Thursday.
91裸聊视频淭he Real Housewives of New York City91裸聊视频� 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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