Megyn Kelly “Wants to Come Back” to Fox News, But the Network Isn’t Interested

As rumors swirl that Megyn Kelly has been officially fired from NBC, sources close to the situation are shedding some light on Kelly’s next move. While Kelly has yet to confirm her exit, it seems all but certain following a controversy that has only grown since the Megyn Kelly Today host defended blackface early last week. According to Vanity Fair, Kelly is hoping that when the dust settles, she’ll be able to return to her roots at Fox News, where she served as an anchor for 13 years. But Kelly’s hopes may stay just that: sources at Fox say that the network isn’t interested in bringing back the disgraced TV personality, especially considering that her initial departure from Fox was anything but amiable.

Vanity Fair reported late last week that Kelly has been open about wanting to return to the conservative network. “She wants to come back,” said a source close to Kelly. This isn’t too surprising — Kelly was an odd hire for NBC to begin with, and her programming choices, personality, and commentary never quite gelled with the requirements of a 9 a.m. Today hour. But sources told VF that Kelly has been angling to return to Fox News for a while now, not just in the wake of her blackface controversy. According to two people close to Megyn Kelly Today, in the last month, Kelly has made a point to generate Fox News-approved talking points ahead of a potential return to the network; this explains her decision to vehemently support then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and bash his accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (Kelly called Dr. Ford a “Democrat donor” who was represented by a “well-known Democratic activist, reported VF).

But Kelly shouldn’t get too excited quite yet. Sources close to Lachlan Murdoch, co-executive chairman of Fox News’ parent company News Corp, said that the exec is “extremely pleased with the current lineup,” which is media-speak for “Hell no, we’re not bringing Kelly back.” While one network exec described Kelly as “toxic,” it’s likely that Murdoch’s hesitation has something to do with the way Kelly left Fox News in 2016. At the time, Kelly came out harshly against Donald Trump, positioned herself as a #MeToo ally following the sexual misconduct allegations against Roger Ailes, and turned down a massive $100 million deal from the network before joining the NBC team.

Unless Fox News changes their tune (and that doesn’t seem likely), it’s possible that Kelly’s career could be over — for the time being, at least. After the stink washes off in a few months, who knows what could happen?