Megyn Kelly tweeted on Saturday that she and husband Douglas Brunt had spent the evening taking in ‘Network’ on Broadway in New York City, a show that tells the story of a television anchor about to lose his job due to low ratings.
The ironic choice of entertainment follows Kelly’s night out on Friday, when she was spotted on a date night with Brunt at Elio’s restaurant in Manhattan, as negotiations continue over her impending exit from NBC.
Kelly was abruptly taken off the air in October, following offensive comments she made pertaining to the use of blackface as part of Halloween costumes.
The former Fox News host, who later apologized for her commentary, is now filling her nights and days with Broadway shows, romantic dinners and running errands, rather than prepping stories and covering important political moments like Tuesday’s midterm election.
Kelly reportedly signed to a three-year deal with NBC in 2017, leaving the network to now figure out what kind of severance to offer the host who had a combined $69 million contract.
Megyn Kelly and her husband Douglas Brunt saw the Broadway show, Network, on Saturday, about a TV anchor due to be fired until an emotional outburst seemingly saves the day, ironically as her exit negotiations with NBC continue
‘.@DougBrunt & I thoroughly enjoyed “Network” on Broadway tonight.,’ Kelly tweeted, late on Saturday.
‘@BryanCranston was brilliant, as he is in everything. A lot of wisdom in this one.’
The commentary on the curious choice of entertainment is telling, with the Playbill description for the play reading:
‘Based on the 1970s film of the same name, Network tells the story of a television anchor about to lose his job due to low ratings. When his emotions lead to an on-air outburst, the ratings skyrocket and Beale has a chance to deliver a meaningful message to his viewers. Originally written for the screen as a satire, the play—in an adaptiation by Lee Hall—is anything but for a 2018 audience.’
Tongue-in-cheek tweet aside, Kelly appeared equally unbothered by the drama surrounding the future of her career on Friday, as she smiled sweetly at her husband as the two strolled hand-in-hand in the Big Apple.
‘.@DougBrunt & I thoroughly enjoyed “Network” on Broadway tonight. @BryanCranston was brilliant, as he is in everything. A lot of wisdom in this one,’ ,’ Kelly tweeted, late on Saturday
Tongue-in-cheek tweet aside, Kelly appeared equally unbothered by the drama surrounding the future of her career on Friday, as she smiled sweetly at her husband as the two strolled hand-in-hand in the Big Apple
Kelly wore leather pants on the cool night, jazzing up her look even more with an animal-print jacket.
She wore a dark top underneath her coat and accessorized with large hoop earrings, while gripping a clutch with her free hand.
Brunt stayed true to a theme of blue, with denim pants and a cool-toned, button-down shirt in the hue under a blazer in a slightly darker shade of the color.
Earlier this week, Kelly was originally slated to be front and center for NBC’s midterm election coverage before she was ousted from Today by the network bosses for her blackface remarks.
Kelly wore leather pants on the cool night, jazzing up her look even more with an animal-print jacket, a dark top underneath her coat and accessorizing with large hoop earrings
Kelly and Brunt were enjoying a date night at Elio’s restaurant (center) in Manhattan on Friday
Kelly was abruptly taken off the air by NBC in October, following offensive comments she made pertaining to the use of blackface as part of Halloween costumes; The moment she said she thought blackface was OK is shown here (Kelly later apologized)
Instead of sitting among her colleagues at the anchor desk on Tuesday, she instead spent part of her day unloading an SUV in front of her home alongside her husband.
The pair unloaded groceries and a car seat during the rainy New York day, as voters headed to the polls in throngs for the heated elections.
NBC had announced that Kelly was going to be an integral part of their election night coverage back in September.
She was featured in a promotional shot for NBC’s midterm coverage alongside heavyweights Lester Holt of the network’s Nightly News, Today host Savannah Guthrie and Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd.
Kelly was seen for the first time during election day, unloading groceries with her husband Brunt from an SUV near their New York City Home on Tuesday
A lot to unpack: Kelly anticipated being front and center for NBC’s special election night coverage until she was ousted by network execs for insensitive comments about blackface
Instead of being seated alongside prominent NBC presenters such as Lester Holt of the network’s Nightly News, Today host Savannah Guthrie, Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd and revered anchor Tom Brokaw, Kelly unpacked the SUV during the big midterm coverage day
Now you see her, now you don’t: NBC added an enormous star to cover up their former fallen star who was previously featured in the network’s midterm coverage promo
. Unfortunately placed veteran news anchor, Tom Brokaw, also suffered in the cover-up as he was the only host seated to Megyn’s left; From left to right: Tom Brokaw, Megyn Kelly, Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell
With the shot already perfected, and circulated, NBC had to wipe her image off of the promo.
Faced with a conundrum of how to get rid of Kelly seated at the anchor desk, they opted to completely cover her with a gigantic digital graphic featuring a star that read ‘The Vote: America’s Future.’
An unfortunately situated Tom Brokaw was also covered. He was the only host seated to Kelly’s left.
With little other option, NBC placed the star over the revered anchor as well.
The edited promo was released via a video ad spot on Monday. It showed only Holt, Guthrie and Todd at the desk for its ‘The Vote: America’s Future’ special live broadcast.
Kelly was scheduled to front NBC’s midterm election coverage on Tuesday night before she was dramatically fired from the network over her ‘Blackface’ comments
Kelly (left) previously hosted in a round-table format with the NBC heavyweights in September
The controversy that started it all left Kelly apologizing to viewers and colleagues after making comments defending racist Halloween attire, which prompted an immediate backlash and led to NBC pulling her from the air entirely.
Kelly made the offending remarks during an awkward roundtable discussion about inappropriate and offensive costumes on her eponymous one-hour block of the Today show, known as Megyn Kelly Today.
During the segment, Kelly said it was OK when she was growing up for white people to dress up as black characters, and she spoke out against a controversy that erupted last year over a reality star who portrayed Diana Ross.
‘But what is racist? Kelly asked. ‘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.’
Kelly had texted Luann de Lesseps to apologize for referencing her Diana Ross costume (shown) in the panel about blackface that led to her dismissal from Today reports US Weekly
Later in the discussion, Kelly brought up Luann de Lesseps, a star on The Real Housewives of New York who drew backlash last year for dressing up as Ross.
Many observers were aghast at Kelly’s comments, and some noted that the panel did not include a single person of color.
Also absent from the discussion was any mention of the ugly history of blackface, a tradition spanning centuries meant to perpetuate racist stereotypes.
Negotiations between Kelly and the station over her exit have now been dragging on for weeks.
Kelly and NBC are now said to be fighting over money and whether or not Kelly will sign a non-disclosure as part of her exit.
’It’s all out war in negotiations between Kelly and NBC,’ said one source close to Kelly.
‘She doesn’t just want the remainder of her $69 million contract, she wants more money on top as compensation for what she believes is NBC’s attempt to not just have her off the air but to end her career.’
An NBC source with knowledge of the situation said that Kelly is also refusing to sign an NDA unless her monetary demands are met, although a source close to Kelly claims it is not money that is the issue.
Kelly left Fox News in 2017 to sign a contract with NBC worth a reported $23 million a year.