The Repercussions For Megyn Kelly's Blackface Comments Are Finally Here

Megyn Kelly will be walking away from NBC with $30 million, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. This is what remains of her initial $69 million contract she made with NBC when she first joined the network. Kelly reportedly made around $20 million a year at NBC.

Sources have told The Daily Mail that Megyn Kelly will be leaving NBC, likely getting paid her entire $69 million contract. NBC has yet to confirm or make an official announcement on her departure, but several anonymous insiders and NBC execs told the outlet that Kelly "is gone and will never be seen on NBC live again."

On Tuesday, NBC's Megyn Kelly sparked immediate backlash when she appeared to defend the racist use of Blackface for Halloween costumes on Megyn Kelly Today. The former Fox News host asked "what is racist?" when revealing that, as a kid, she believed Blackface was okay "as long as you were dressing up as like a character."

Said Kelly, "I can’t keep up with the number of people we’re offending just by being normal people."

Later that day, Kelly reportedly sent an internal apology email to NBC staff, and apologized for her comments on-air the next morning.

"I want to begin with two words: I'm sorry," she told the camera. "The country feels so divided and I have no wish to add to that pain and offense. I believe this is a time for more understanding, more love, more sensitivity and honor...Thank you for listening and for helping me listen, too."

But the damage has already been done. Kelly is facing more than just social media backlash for her words. Her own coworkers have condemned her comments, with both Al Roker and Craig Melvin making statements on air. Melvin called the comments "ignorant and racist… stupid and indefensible" while Roker said Kelly "owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country."

This was corroborated by NBC News Chairman Andy Lack at a town hall meeting yesterday, according a transcript given to The Daily Beast.

"There is no other way to put this, but I condemn those remarks," Lack said, adding, "There is no place on our air or in this workplace for them. Very unfortunate."

Following the remarks, the cast of Netflix's House Of Cards reportedly cancelled their scheduled appearance on Kelly's show. Then, this morning, NBC confirmed to CNN that the remaining shows this week "will be on tape." A source also told the outlet that Kelly's departure from the role seems likely. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the host has parted ways with talent agency CAA and has hired a lawyer, possibly in preparation for a legal battle with the network. NBC did not immediately returned Refinery29's request for comment.

This is far from the first time Kelly has been under fire for comments regarding race. In 2013, she notoriously insisted on Fox News that Santa Claus cannot be Black because he is white. Despite these comments, which caused their own uproar, she remained at Fox until January 2017. Her career at NBC may have no such longevity.