Megyn Kelly ‘Threw a Fit’ Over Katie Couric’s Olympics Gig: Report

Megyn Kelly ‘Threw a Fit’ Over Katie Couric’s Olympics Gig: Report
News anchor Megyn Kelly speaks during Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit - Day 2 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Oct. 13, 2015, in Washington. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Fortune/Time Inc)
Zachary Stieber
1/30/2018
Updated:
1/30/2018

Megyn Kelly, who will not travel to South Korea to cover the Olympics despite being NBC’s highest paid “Today” host, is upset that Katie Couric was offered an Olympics hosting position.

Kelly signed a $23 million per year contract last spring.

While doing so, she said she couldn’t be forced to cover special events such as the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, which start in February.

Kelly said, “No” when she asked to cover the Olympics, reported the New York Post.

However, when Matt Lauer, who was lined up for the gig, was fired in November over sexual misconduct allegations, Kelly thought she was next in line.

“She thought she had it all played out perfectly, by saying ‘No’ before the Matt Lauer scandal. [The network was] stupid enough to put in her contract that she could say ‘Yes’ or ‘No,'” a source told the Post.

But the gig was then offered to Couric, who co-hosted the “Today” show with Lauer from 1997 to 2006.

“[Kelly] complained to her staff, she complained to her agent, so that [NBC News chairman Andrew Lack] would hear about the fact that she was unhappy, but he didn’t care,” the source claimed.

NBC News, though, pushed back against the report, with an insider telling the Post that the report is “laughable since [the opening ceremony is] the least desirable gig in broadcasting, given the inevitable brutal reviews.”

Instead of traveling to South Korea, Kelly will host her usual 9 a.m. slot from New York City during the international event.

She will cover Olympics news and updates from the studio.

The Winter Olympics starts on Feb. 9 and runs through Feb. 25.

The event includes sports such as bobsledding, skiing, and hockey.

From NTD.tv
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