Megyn Kelly didn't appear on her NBC show 2 days after defending blackface, and NBC put on a months-old rerun instead

NBC

Megyn Kelly delivering an apology on Wednesday.

• Megyn Kelly wasn't presenting her usual NBC "Megyn Kelly Today" breakfast show on Thursday.
• Instead NBC aired an old episode of her show which was broadcast on Friday August 31.
• The presenter defended using blackface as a Halloween costume on her Tuesday show.
• But she was forced to apologised when she was slammed by NBC colleagues, and people online, for the comments.
• CNN reported on Thursday that Kelly may never return.

Megyn Kelly wasn't hosting her NBC breakfast show on Thursday, after she defended using blackface for Halloween costumes.

Instead the network aired the beginning of a months-old rerun on Thursday October 25, giving viewers the opening segments of the Friday August 31 episode instead.

In a report on Thursday morning, CNN said a source told them Kelly could be gone from the show for good.

It follows Kelly sparking a firestorm of criticism by arguing that there are non-racist ways to paint your skin black while dressing up. Many say wearing blackface is a racist act regardless of the circumstances.

NBC was not immediately able to comment on the re-run when contacted by Business Insider.

In an on-air discussion Tuesday, Kelly said: "But what is racist? You truly do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface at Halloween or a black person who puts on white face for Halloween," to guests Melissa Rivers, Jenna Bush Hager, and Jacob Soboroff.

"That was OK when I was a kid, as long as you were dressing like a character," she added.

Here's a video of her comments, shared on Twitter by ShareBlue Media writer Tommy Christopher : 

After Tuesday's show, Kelly was inundated with criticism and backlash on Twitter, and apologized on her show on Wednesday morning. 

She said: "I want to begin with two words: I'm sorry."

Here's her full apology posted on the "Today" show's Twitter page:

CNN reporter Tom Kludt said she sent an email to her colleagues which said: "I realize now that that such behaviour is indeed wrong and I am sorry. The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent, the wounds too deep."  

On Thursday, Deadline reported that Kelly's management, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). had split with the TV presenter, and rumours she would be a no-show on Thursday's "Today" program. 

CAA also manages stars like Ryan Gosling, JJ Abrams, and 50 Cent.

CNN reported on Thursday that she is scheduled to participate in NBC's midterm election coverage in November, it is not know whether she will be kept on by NBC for it.