Megyn Kelly is no stranger to controversy.
She ignited a feud with Donald Trump that defined the early months of the 2016 presidential campaign and she raised eyebrows across the media landscape when she jumped to NBC.
Now she’s unleashed a rant that’s landed her squarely on the hot seat.
Both the media and political worlds were rocked by the death of former Fox News President Roger Ailes.
Ailes – who passed away at the age of 77 – had molded Fox News into the cable news juggernaut that would speak for the millions of Americans alienated by the so-called “mainstream” media’s liberal bias.
But Ailes was forced out of Fox due personal conduct controversies.
And Megyn Kelly was one of the key witnesses against him.
Experts pointed to her testimony against Ailes as the straw that broke the camel’s back.
In her book “Settle for More”, Kelly explained the thought process that led her to speak out against Ailes.
Yahoo reports:
“After Carlson filed her lawsuit July 6, and Fox began investigating the charges, Kelly wrote that she and her friend agreed to tell the investigators the truth if they were interviewed, and began quietly asking around if more women had experienced harassment from Ailes.
“She was a fearless soldier in what would become an underground army of women — those resolved to be honest about his behavior,” Kelly wrote.
But when Kelly found out the Ailes investigation would be limited so she wouldn’t get questioned, she wrote, she decided to come forward, and told Lachlan Murdoch, heir of the network’s parent company 21st Century Fox, what happened to her. Ailes found out, Kelly’s story leaked, and even more women started telling Kelly their stories.
“I had become aware of many other victims — the underground soldiers were finding each other — including some women who were still being harassed by him in deeply unsettling ways,” she wrote. “I figured if sharing my name with Roger would help the others stay anonymous, so be it.”
In the meantime, speaking out against Ailes cost her internally at Fox News.
Bill O’Reilly, the network’s top rated anchor, criticized her.
And just seven months later, Kelly was also out of Fox News, although she left by her own accord.
Insiders reported O’Reilly’s comments were part of her decision to leave.
The Hill reports:
“Kelly was frustrated by O’Reilly’s criticism of her for publicly discussing sexual harassment she experienced at Fox, The New York Times reported Friday.
The Times said Kelly sent an email to Fox executives complaining about O’Reilly’s behavior during his appearance on “CBS This Morning” in November.
O’Reilly criticized Kelly for discussing how former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes allegedly sexually harassed her in a book she released the same day as his interview. Ailes left the network in July amid several several sexual harassment claims against him and a lawsuit from former anchor Gretchen Carlson.
“Look, it’s open season,” O’Reilly said when asked about Kelly’s claims. “Let’s whack the Fox News Channel. I’ve had enough of it. It’s a good place to work. All right?”
Kelly’s book and her comments on Ailes are taking on a new light in the wake of his passing.
Liberals are trying to paint Ailes as a monster and will use Kelly’s excerpts as evidence to convict him.