History of Megyn Kelly in Timeline
Megyn Kelly is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. She hosts The Megyn Kelly Show on Sirius XM and YouTube. She previously hosted programs on Fox News (2004-2017), including America Live and The Kelly File, and anchored Megyn Kelly Today on NBC News (2017-2018). In 2014, she was recognized as one of Time's 100 most influential people.
1964: Sister Suzanne Born
In 1964, Megyn Kelly's older sister, Suzanne, was born.
1965: Brother Pete Born
Around 1965, Megyn Kelly's older brother, Pete, was born.
November 18, 1970: Megyn Kelly Born
Megyn Kelly was born on November 18, 1970. She is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality.
1985: Father's Death
In 1985, Megyn Kelly's father died of a heart attack when she was 15 years old.
1992: Undergraduate Degree
In 1992, Megyn Kelly obtained an undergraduate degree in political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
1995: J.D. from Albany Law School
In 1995, Megyn Kelly earned a J.D. from Albany Law School.
1996: Co-wrote article for American Bar Association
In the fall of 1996, Megyn Kelly co-wrote an article titled "The Conflicting Roles of Lawyer as Director" for the American Bar Association's journal, Litigation.
2001: First marriage to Daniel Kendall
In 2001, Megyn Kelly was first married to Daniel Kendall, an anesthesiologist, in a Catholic ceremony.
2002: Josh Duggar's alleged molestation
In 2002, Josh Duggar allegedly molested five girls.
2003: Hired by WJLA-TV
In 2003, Megyn Kelly was hired by the ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., as a general assignment reporter.
2004: Covered Presidential Election
In 2004, Megyn Kelly covered the presidential election as a general assignment reporter for WJLA-TV.
2004: Joined Fox News
In 2004, Megyn Kelly started working at Fox News, where she hosted programs like America Live and The Kelly File.
2005: Trump's sexual comments
In October, a contentious discussion between Kelly and Newt Gingrich on The Kelly File regarding Donald Trump's sexual comments in a 2005 audio recording gained widespread social media reaction.
2006: Divorce from Daniel Kendall
In 2006, Megyn Kelly's marriage to Daniel Kendall ended in divorce.
2008: Marriage to Douglas Brunt
In 2008, Kelly married Douglas Brunt, who was then president and CEO of the cybersecurity firm Authentium.
2009: Birth of son Yates
In 2009, Kelly and Douglas Brunt had their first child, son Yates, conceived through in vitro fertilization.
February 1, 2010: Began Hosting America Live
On February 1, 2010, Megyn Kelly began hosting her own two-hour afternoon show, America Live, which replaced The Live Desk on Fox News.
December 2010: Hosted New Year's Eve special
In December 2010, Megyn Kelly co-hosted a New Year's Eve special with Bill Hemmer on Fox News.
2010: Hosted America Live
Starting in 2010, Megyn Kelly hosted America Live on Fox News until 2013.
2011: Birth of daughter Yardley
In 2011, Kelly and Douglas Brunt had their second child, daughter Yardley, conceived through in vitro fertilization.
July 2013: Left America Live
In July 2013, Megyn Kelly left America Live and took maternity leave.
December 2013: Santa Claus Comments
In December 2013, Megyn Kelly made controversial comments on The Kelly File regarding the race of Santa Claus and Jesus, which were later satirized by Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and others. She later clarified her comments as "tongue-in-cheek".
2013: Birth of son Thatcher
In 2013, Kelly and Douglas Brunt had their third child, son Thatcher, conceived through in vitro fertilization.
2013: Began Hosting The Kelly File
In 2013, Megyn Kelly started hosting The Kelly File, which focused on breaking news and political events, and aired until 2017.
2014: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2014, Megyn Kelly was recognized as one of Time's 100 most influential people.
June 2015: Interview with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
In June 2015, Megyn Kelly interviewed Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting regarding their son Josh Duggar's alleged molestation of five girls in 2002. She also interviewed two of their daughters, Jill and Jessa.
August 6, 2015: Republican Party presidential debate
On August 6, 2015, Megyn Kelly asked Donald Trump a question about his temperament during the Republican Party presidential debate, which led to media and political reactions, including criticism from Trump. After the debate, Ted Cruz said that Kelly had referred to Trump off-camera as "Voldemort".
2015: Moderated Republican Party presidential debate at Fox News
In 2015, Megyn Kelly famously moderated the first Republican Party presidential debate during her time at Fox News.
2015: Kelly identifies as an independent
In 2015, Megyn Kelly told Variety that she identifies as an independent and has voted for both Democrats and Republicans.
February 2016: Signed agreement with HarperCollins to write autobiography
In February 2016, Kelly signed an agreement with HarperCollins to write an autobiography, a deal worth more than $10 million.
February 2016: Vanity Fair cover
Megyn Kelly appeared on the cover of the February 2016 issue of Vanity Fair.
March 2016: Host a one-hour prime time special on Fox
In March 2016, it was announced that Megyn Kelly would host a one-hour prime time special on the Fox network, interviewing celebrities from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and other areas of human interest.
May 2016: One-hour prime time special on Fox
In May 2016, Megyn Kelly hosted a one-hour prime time special on the Fox network which was a sweeps month. It acquired 4.8 million viewers, but placed third in the ratings.
July 2016: Roger Ailes allegations of sexual harassment
In July 2016, amid allegations of sexual harassment on the part of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Kelly was reported to have confirmed that she herself was also subjected to his harassment. Two days after the report, Ailes resigned from Fox News and his lawyer publicly denied the charge.
September 2016: Collaboration with Michael De Luca to produce Embeds
In September 2016, it was reported that Megyn Kelly would be collaborating with Michael De Luca to produce Embeds, a scripted comedy about reporters covering politics, to be aired on a streaming service.
November 15, 2016: Release of autobiography "Settle for More"
Megyn Kelly's autobiography, titled "Settle for More", was released on November 15, 2016.
2016: Clash with Donald Trump during 2016 campaign
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump referred to Megyn Kelly as "nasty" following a widely publicized debate exchange.
2016: Moderated Presidential Primary Debates
During the 2016 election cycle, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates on Fox News.
2016: Rumored to be moving to other networks
In late 2016, with her Fox contract in its final months, Megyn Kelly was rumored to be actively considering moving to other news networks.
January 6, 2017: Departed Fox News
On January 6, 2017, Megyn Kelly departed Fox News after the last episode of The Kelly File was aired.
June 2, 2017: Interviewed Vladimir Putin at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
On June 2, 2017, Megyn Kelly interviewed Russian president Vladimir Putin, first in a panel discussion she moderated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and later in a one-on-one interview.
June 4, 2017: NBC's Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly
On June 4, 2017, the one-on-one interview of Russian president Vladimir Putin aired on the premiere episode of NBC's Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.
July 2017: Non-compete clause with Fox
In January 2017, People reported that Megyn Kelly remained under a non-compete clause with Fox until July 2017, which would prevent her from working for a competitor until the clause expired, unless it would be canceled prior.
September 2017: Megyn Kelly Today Premiered
In September 2017, Megyn Kelly's daytime talk show, Megyn Kelly Today, premiered on NBC.
2017: Joined Dateline NBC
In 2017, Megyn Kelly joined Dateline NBC and continued to report stories for the show.
2017: Left Fox News
In 2017, Megyn Kelly left Fox News after working there since 2004.
October 23, 2018: Blackface Comments
On October 23, 2018, Megyn Kelly made on-air remarks on Megyn Kelly Today related to the appropriateness of blackface as part of Halloween costumes, resulting in criticism and an internal apology.
2018: Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly return never materialized
After an initial run of eight episodes in the summer of 2017, NBC decided to bring back Megyn Kelly's newsmagazine show Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly for summer 2018 after a hiatus for football and the Winter Olympics, but only periodically. However, this return never materialized.
2018: Criticism of lawmakers after the Parkland shooting
In 2018, following the Parkland shooting, Megyn Kelly criticized lawmakers for their failure to pass meaningful gun reform, citing the NRA's influence as a barrier.
January 11, 2019: Employment terminated by NBC
On January 11, 2019, Megyn Kelly's employment with NBC was terminated, and she was paid the $30 million due for the remainder of her contract.
January 2019: Left NBC
Megyn Kelly left NBC in January 2019 and transitioned to independent media.
December 13, 2019: Release of "Bombshell" film
On December 13, 2019, the film "Bombshell," depicting Roger Ailes' sexual abuses at Fox News, was released. Kelly, portrayed by Charlize Theron, was not consulted on the film's content but later confirmed and denied certain moments after viewing it.
September 10, 2020: Launch of Devil May Care Media
On September 10, 2020, Megyn Kelly announced the launch of Devil May Care Media, her media production company.
September 28, 2020: Premiered The Megyn Kelly Show
On September 28, 2020, the first episode of Megyn Kelly's podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, premiered.
2020: Voted for Donald Trump in 2020 presidential election
In April 2024, Kelly revealed that she voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
July 6, 2021: Podcast Move to Sirius XM
On July 6, 2021, it was announced that The Megyn Kelly Show podcast would move to Sirius XM on September 7, 2021.
September 7, 2021: The Megyn Kelly Show moved to Sirius XM
On September 7, 2021, The Megyn Kelly Show podcast moved to Sirius XM to broadcast weekdays at 12 noon ET on the talk radio channel Triumph, along with a video simulcast available to Sirius XM subscribers.
2022: Death of sister Suzanne Crossley
In 2022, Kelly announced that her older sister, Suzanne Crossley, had died from a heart attack following a battle with addiction.
2022: Sister Suzanne's Death
In 2022, Megyn Kelly's older sister, Suzanne, passed away.
June 2023: Shift in opinion on preferred pronouns
In June 2023, Kelly explained that her opinion had shifted from supporting "preferred pronouns" to opposing them, citing concerns about their connection to gender-affirming care for minors.
November 30, 2023: Revealed role in "Mr. Birchum" animated series
On November 30, 2023, Kelly revealed on her show that she was set to star alongside Danny Trejo, Roseanne Barr, and Adam Carolla in Mr. Birchum, a new Daily Wire adult animated comedy series.
December 6, 2023: Kelly co-hosts Republican primary debate on NewsNation
On December 6, 2023, Megyn Kelly co-hosted the fourth Republican primary debate on NewsNation with Elizabeth Vargas and Eliana Johnson, marking her return to moderating a presidential debate since 2015 when she was at Fox News.
March 2024: Disclosure of Catholic annulment process
In March 2024, Kelly disclosed that she was undergoing the Catholic annulment process for her marriage with Daniel Kendall.
April 2024: Revealed vote for Donald Trump in 2020 and planned vote in 2024
In April 2024, Kelly revealed that she voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and would vote for him again in 2024 due to transgender issues and cultural changes.
October 2024: Criticism of Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris
In October 2024, Megyn Kelly criticized Taylor Swift for endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, accusing Swift of "alienating half her fan base."
November 4, 2024: Kelly publicly endorses Donald Trump
On November 4, 2024, Megyn Kelly publicly endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in Pittsburgh, citing his policies on women's rights, border security, immigration, and transgender athletes. She posted a selfie with Trump on X.
2024: Moderated Presidential Primary Debates
During the 2024 election cycle, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates on Fox News.
2024: Debut of "Mr. Birchum" animated series
In early 2024, Mr. Birchum, a new Daily Wire adult animated comedy series which Megyn Kelly was set to star in, debuted.
January 2025: YouTube channel growth
As of January 2025, Kelly’s YouTube channel has over 3.2 million subscribers, and it has become one of the top ten podcasts in the U.S.
January 17, 2025: Kelly announces plans to attend Trump's inauguration and deliver remarks at rally
On January 17, 2025, Kelly announced on her show that she would be attending Trump's second inauguration on January 20 and would be delivering remarks on stage at his rally the night before.
February 18, 2025: Launch of AM Update with Megyn Kelly podcast
On February 18, 2025, Kelly announced the launch of a second podcast, AM Update with Megyn Kelly, which is set to premiere on February 19, focusing on daily headlines.
2025: Shift in political standing on The Megyn Kelly Show
In 2025, Kelly opened up about her shift in political standing on The Megyn Kelly Show
2025: IHeartRadio podcast award for Best Political podcast
In 2025, Kelly won the IHeartRadio podcast award for Best Political podcast.
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