NBC morning host Megyn Kelly has been blasted on social media after making the bizarre statement on her show Tuesday morning.
Megyn Kelly has sparked a race controversy over remarks she made Tuesday about the days when she claimed blackface was "OK."
Addressing a panel discussing Halloween controversies, Kelly asked what constitutes a "racist" costume.
"You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween," Kelly said.
"Back when I was a kid, that was OK just as long as you were dressing as a character," she added.
Kelly further elaborated by pointing to a "Real Housewives" controversy in which Luann de Lesseps dressed as the Supremes' Diana Ross.
“People said that was racist!" Kelly declared. "And I don’t know, like, I thought, like, ‘Who doesn’t love Diana Ross?’ She wants to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don’t know how that got racist on Halloween."
Kelly's group of panelists, who were all white, disagreed.
“I haven't seen it, but it sounds pretty racist to me,” said NBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff.
Added fellow correspondent Jenna Bush Hager: "Me too."
For her part, de Lesseps ultimately apologized for her costume, claiming she wore bronzer that she normally wears and would never dream of wearing blackface.
Backlash to Kelly's Tuesday remarks was swift on social media, where Kelly was dragged for the comments.
.@megynkelly - "I don't get why Black face is so offensive?"
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) October 23, 2018
Also @megynkelly - "KIDS, NEVER FORGET SANTA CLAUS IS WHITE!!!!"https://t.co/43HvDkVC9N
When Megyn Kelly reminds you why she was so popular on Fox News... https://t.co/wCnrDlGMlU
— Eunice Swagpants (@spencemo) October 23, 2018
Megyn Kelly not understanding anything about racism? Ya don’t say... https://t.co/uhK69ODGWQ
— Freon Dusk (@TaylorNotSoGang) October 23, 2018
Kelly later apologized to her colleagues, according to an internal NBC email obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
"One of the wonderful things about my job is that I get the chance to express and hear a lot of opinions. 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," she wrote.
She continued: "I’ve never been a 'pc' kind of person — but I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. Particularly on race and ethnicity issues which, far from being healed, have been exacerbated in our politics over the past year. This is a time for more understanding, love, sensitivity and honor, and I want to be part of that.
"I look forward to continuing that discussion."
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