Home Notifications Newsletters Next Share

How Megyn Kelly went from small-town cheerleader, to leading political journalist, to daytime talk show hosthttps://www.businessinsider.in/how-megyn-kelly-went-from-small-town-cheerleader-to-leading-political-journalist-to-daytime-talk-show-host/however-kelly-wore-a-shirt-that-had-a-pussy-bow-a-feature-that-gained-traction-after-the-infamous-access-hollywood-tape-during-which-trump-demeaned-women-and-said-he-could-grab-em-by-the-p-y-leaked-last-year-so-whether-kelly-really-plans-to-stay-away-from-the-political-fray-remains-to-be-seen-/slidelist/60862481.cms2017-09-28T00:41:14+05:30

How Megyn Kelly went from small-town cheerleader, to leading political journalist, to daytime talk show host

Sep 28, 2017, 00:41 IST

However, Kelly wore a shirt that had a "pussy bow," a feature that gained traction after the infamous Access Hollywood tape, during which Trump demeaned women and said he could "grab 'em by the p---y," leaked last year. So whether Kelly really plans to stay away from the political fray remains to be seen.

On Monday, she told her new daytime talk show studio audience that she was "kind of done with politics."

She also interviewed Alex Jones, an alt-right icon, strong supporter of Donald Trump, and the founder of far-right website InfoWars.

Kelly had already stepped into her new position prior to debuting her daytime talk show on Monday. Earlier this year, she interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin in a segment that earned mixed reviews. Many critics felt she didn't press Putin hard enough on his record on human rights and Russia's election interference.

Her new, multi-year contract with NBC gives Kelly several prominent roles, The New York Times reported earlier this year: she will host daytime news and talk show, a Sunday night in-depth news show, and she will take point on covering prominent breaking news and political stories for the network.

Throughout the next few months, the network saw a string of high-profile departures that began with Ailes stepping down, host Greta van Susteren leaving to take a job at MSNBC, and finally, Kelly announcing her own departure to NBC.

Throughout the next few months, the network saw a string of high-profile departures that began with Ailes stepping down, host Greta van Susteren leaving to take a job at MSNBC, and finally, Kelly announcing her own departure to NBC.

After Carlson made her allegations against Ailes public, the network approached Kelly several times to defend the CEO, she wrote, but "there was no way I was going to lie to protect him."

Kelly later wrote about her own experience with Ailes. At one point, he was "trying to grab me repeatedly and kiss me on the lips," she wrote in her book, "Settle For More."

While other network powerhouses like Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly leaped to Ailes' defense, Kelly backed Carlson and even encouraged another female Fox News anchor to speak out about the alleged harassment she'd faced from Ailes.

Kelly again came under the spotlight later that year, when she defended former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who had accused Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of sexual misconduct.

"It is bizarre, it's surreal," Kelly said of her experience with Trump and covering the campaign. She added that she didn't enjoy seeing her own name in the headlines and that she looked forward to moving on from the experience.

The incident, and Kelly's pushback against it, made her something of a cultural icon during the election. Kelly was even a featured guest during the 2016 "Women In The World" summit hosted by Katie Couric.

It wasn't all rosy for the Fox News host, though. Kelly told late night host Jimmy Fallon a few months later that she could "no longer go on Twitter" because of the harassment she experienced from Trump and his fans.

The remark, which many perceived as sexist, drew immediate and sustained criticism from observers and critics, while Kelly garnered support from both sides of the political spectrum.

Things took a turn during a Republican primary debate in 2015 when Kelly became part of the news cycle itself. After she questioned then-Republican candidate Donald Trump about his behavior towards women, Trump implied Kelly had been vindictive and said she had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her...wherever."

Critics have also accused Kelly, who came out as an Independent in 2015, of adopting a double standard in her reporting.

The segment was also lampooned by late-night political satire shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Kelly was roundly criticized for the segment's historical inaccuracy — Santa Claus is traced back to a real-life monk named St. Nicholas who was from Turkey — and for its racial undertones.

Her tenure at the network was not without controversy, though. Kelly attracted sharp criticism in 2013 following a segment during which she told the "kids watching at home" that "Santa just is white" and that "Jesus was a white man, too."

In one attention-grabbing interview, she asked Republican strategist Karl Rove an awkward question when during the 2012 election, when he was forecasting the numbers Republican candidate Mitt Romney needed to win the election: "Is this just math that you do as a Republican to make yourself feel better, or is this real?"

She also gained recognition for her take-no-prisoners approach to interviewing politicians and high-level officials from both sides of the aisle.

Kelly quickly established herself as a leading voice in political journalism while at Fox. She provided wall-to-wall coverage of critical events like the 2013 government shutdown, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Kelly joined Fox News one year later, in 2004. Former CNN President Jonathan Klein told The New York Times in 2015 that he regretted not hiring Kelly when she was starting out because she was "the one talent you'd want to have from somewhere else."

Kelly entered the media sphere in 2003, when she started working as a general assignment reporter for an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. She covered multiple stories of national interest, including the 2004 presidential race.

Soon after, Kelly joined prominent law firm Bickel & Brewer as an associate. Later, she spent nine years working for Jones Day. She credits her background in practicing law with helping her stand her ground when interviewing politicians and CEOs.

Kelly became more focused on her academics when she started college. She graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in political science in 1992 and went on to earn a JD from Albany Law School in 1995.

Megyn Kelly was born in Illinois in 1970. She was a cheerleader throughout high school and told Katie Couric last year that at the time, she didn't have much ambition. Her father was a college professor and her mother was a nurse. Kelly's father died of a heart attack when she was 15.

Next Story 5 most colourful mountains in the world

View All Latest