Megyn Kelly Apologizes for Defending Blackface Halloween Costumes

Megyn Kelly issued an apology to colleagues on Tuesday after her comments defending racist Halloween costumes prompted immediate backlash.

“One of the wonderful things about my job is that I get the chance to express and hear a lot of opinions,” Kelly said in the internal note, a copy of which was provided to CNN by a spokesperson for NBC. “Today is one of those days where listening carefully to other points of view, including from friends and colleagues, is leading me to rethink my own views.”

“I want to begin with two words, I’m sorry..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.” Megyn Kelly pic.twitter.com/6hHrvZLNvK

— Megyn Kelly TODAY (@MegynTODAY) October 24, 2018

Kelly made the offensive remarks on her show, Megyn Kelly Today, during an awkward roundtable discussion about inappropriate and offensive costumes. During the segment, Kelly said that when she was growing up, it was okay for white people to dress up as black characters.

“But what is racist?” Kelly asked, according to CNN. “Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character.”

Megyn Kelly wonders what the big deal is about blackface pic.twitter.com/07yvYDuAYe

— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) October 23, 2018

She later brought Luann de Lesseps, a star on The Real Housewives of New York, who drew criticism last year for dressing up as Diana Ross.

“There was a controversy on The Real Housewives of New York with Luann, and she dressed as Diana Ross, and she made her skin look darker than it really is and people said that that was racist,” Kelly said. “And I don’t know, I felt like who doesn’t love Diana Ross? She wants to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don’t know how, like, that got racist on Halloween.”