Brief Introduction of Megyn Kelly
Megyn Marie Kelly is a prominent American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. She gained widespread recognition for her assertive interview style and commentary during her tenure at Fox News, where she hosted the highly-rated program “The Kelly File.” After a stint at NBC News, Kelly ventured into independent media, launching her own company, Devil May Care Media, and hosting “The Megyn Kelly Show,” a popular talk show and podcast on SiriusXM and YouTube. Known for her direct and often confrontational approach, she has been a significant and sometimes polarizing figure in American media, twice named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Megyn Kelly Overview
| Full Name | Megyn Marie Kelly |
| Date of Birth | November 18, 1970 |
| Age | 54 (as of 2025) |
| Place of Birth | Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
| Family | Husband: Douglas Brunt; Children: Yates, Yardley, Thatcher |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Profession | Journalist, Attorney, Political Commentator, Media Personality |
| Net Worth | Estimated between $45 million and $93 million (as of 2025) |
Early Life and Education of Megyn Kelly
Megyn Marie Kelly was born on November 18, 1970, in Champaign, Illinois, to Edward Francis Kelly, a professor at the State University of New York at Albany, and Linda DeMaio, a homemaker. She is of Irish descent on her father’s side and Italian and German on her mother’s. The youngest of three children, she was raised in DeWitt, and later Delmar, a suburb of Albany, New York. A significant and tragic event in her early life was the sudden death of her father from a heart attack when she was 15 years old. Following his death, her mother worked as a nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital.
Kelly attended Bethlehem Central High School, where she was captain of the cheerleading squad. After graduating, she enrolled at Syracuse University. Though she was initially denied admission to the school of public communications, she pursued a degree in political science and graduated in 1992. She then attended Albany Law School, where she served as an editor of the Albany Law Review and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1995.
Megyn Kelly’s Career
Legal Career
After earning her law degree, Megyn Kelly began her career as an associate attorney at the law firm Bickel & Brewer LLP in Chicago. She later spent nine years at the international law firm Jones Day, where she worked as a corporate litigator. One of her clients during this time was the credit bureau Experian. Despite being on track to make partner, Kelly began to feel unfulfilled by the demanding hours of litigation and decided to pursue a long-held interest in journalism.
Transition to Journalism
In 2003, Kelly moved to Washington, D.C., and began her journalism career as a general assignment reporter for WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate. She covered significant national events, including the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John G. Roberts. Her work quickly garnered attention, and in 2004, she was hired by Fox News.
Fox News (2004–2017)
At Fox News, Kelly’s career ascended rapidly. She started as a Washington-based correspondent, contributing legal segments to shows like Special Report with Brit Hume and hosting her own segment, “Kelly’s Court.” She became a co-anchor of America’s Newsroom in 2007 and in 2010, she was given her own two-hour show, America Live. Her coverage of the 2012 presidential election night, where she fact-checked Karl Rove’s assertions about the Ohio vote count live on air, brought her significant media attention.
In 2013, she began hosting The Kelly File, a primetime program that became one of the highest-rated shows on cable news. During her time as a primetime host, she was known for her pointed interviews and moderated a Republican presidential debate in August 2015, where she famously challenged then-candidate Donald Trump on his past remarks about women. The exchange led to a prolonged and public feud with Trump. Kelly also came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, which she detailed in her 2016 memoir, Settle for More.
NBC News (2017–2019)
In January 2017, Kelly announced her departure from Fox News to take on a “triple role” at NBC News. This included hosting a daytime talk show, Megyn Kelly Today, which premiered in September 2017, and a Sunday night newsmagazine, Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly. However, her tenure at NBC was fraught with challenges. Both shows struggled with ratings, and she faced criticism for several on-air moments. In October 2018, the daytime show was canceled following controversial remarks she made during a segment about blackface in Halloween costumes. She officially left the network in early 2019.
Independent Media (2020–present)
After leaving NBC, Kelly launched her own media production company, Devil May Care Media, in 2020. On September 28, 2020, she premiered her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show. The show, which features long-form interviews and commentary on news and culture, quickly gained a large following. In July 2021, it was announced that the show would move to SiriusXM, airing daily on the Triumph channel, with a video simulcast also available. The show is known for its open and provocative conversations with a wide range of political and cultural figures. In February 2025, she launched a second, shorter daily podcast called AM Update with Megyn Kelly.
Megyn Kelly Personal Life & Family
Megyn Kelly’s first marriage was to anesthesiologist Daniel Kendall in 2001; they divorced in 2006. In 2024, she revealed she was undergoing the Catholic annulment process for this marriage.
In 2008, she married Douglas Brunt, who was then the president and CEO of the cybersecurity firm Authentium. Brunt later became a full-time novelist. The couple met on a blind date in 2006. They have three children together: son Edward Yates (born 2009), daughter Yardley Evans (born 2011), and son Thatcher Bray (born 2013). Kelly has been open about the fact that all three of their children were conceived through in vitro fertilization. The family resides in Connecticut during the school year and spends summers at a home in New Jersey. Kelly was raised Roman Catholic and continues to identify with the faith.
In 2022, Kelly announced that her older sister, Suzanne Crossley, had died of a heart attack.
Awards and Achievements of Megyn Kelly
- 2009: Received an award from Childhelp for her work covering child abuse.
- 2010: Honored with an Alumni Achievement Award from Albany Law School.
- 2014 & 2025: Named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
- 2015: Inducted into the Bethlehem Central High School Hall of Fame.
- 2016: Honored by Variety’s Power of Women for her work addressing child abuse.
- 2025: Won the iHeartRadio podcast award for Best Political Podcast for “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
Megyn Kelly Net Worth and Income
As of 2025, Megyn Kelly’s net worth is estimated to be between $45 million and $93 million. Her wealth has been accumulated through her successful and high-profile career in media. During her time at Fox News, her salary reportedly reached $8 million per year. Her move to NBC News came with a widely reported three-year contract worth $69 million, or $23 million annually. Following her early exit from NBC, she reportedly received a payout of around $30 million. Her current income is derived from her independent media company, Devil May Care Media, which produces “The Megyn Kelly Show.” The podcast generates revenue through a lucrative deal with SiriusXM, as well as advertising and subscriptions. She also earns income from book deals, including her 2016 bestseller Settle for More, and speaking engagements.
Legacy and Influence
Megyn Kelly has established herself as one of the most recognizable and influential figures in American journalism over the past two decades. Her legacy is marked by her sharp, confrontational interviewing style and her ability to generate headlines and drive news cycles. At Fox News, she became a primetime powerhouse, lauded for her legal analysis and tough questioning of political figures from both sides of the aisle. Her move to independent media with “The Megyn Kelly Show” has been highly successful, demonstrating her significant personal brand and loyal audience. She is viewed as a trailblazer for women in news media, while also being a polarizing figure due to her outspoken views and involvement in several controversies.
Interesting Facts about Megyn Kelly
- Before becoming a journalist, she practiced corporate law for nine years.
- She was rejected by Syracuse University’s school of public communications before enrolling as a political science major.
- Her 2016 memoir, Settle for More, debuted at number one on The New York Times bestseller list.
- She was portrayed by actress Charlize Theron in the 2019 film Bombshell, which depicted the culture at Fox News under Roger Ailes.
- Kelly has stated that she has Raynaud’s disease, a condition that affects blood flow to the extremities.
Controversies
Throughout her high-profile career, Megyn Kelly has been at the center of several controversies.
“Santa is White” Comments
In December 2013, while on “The Kelly File,” she sparked a major backlash by insisting that both Santa Claus and Jesus were white. Responding to an article that suggested a more inclusive Santa, Kelly stated, “For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white.” She later described her comments as “tongue-in-cheek” and acknowledged that the skin color of Jesus is “far from settled.”
Feud with Donald Trump
During the first Republican presidential primary debate in August 2015, Kelly’s pointed questioning of Donald Trump about his history of misogynistic comments initiated a long and vitriolic public feud. Trump repeatedly attacked her on social media and in interviews, and he boycotted a subsequent debate she moderated. Kelly maintained she would not “apologize for doing good journalism.”
Blackface Controversy at NBC
In October 2018, during a segment on her NBC show Megyn Kelly Today, she questioned why using blackface as part of a Halloween costume was considered racist, remarking that it was “OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing up as a character.” The comments drew immediate and widespread condemnation from the public and her NBC colleagues. Despite an on-air apology, her show was canceled days later, leading to her eventual departure from the network.
Social Media Presence
Megyn Kelly maintains a significant online presence, using social media to promote her show and engage with current events. As of 2024, her YouTube channel for “The Megyn Kelly Show” has over 3.6 million subscribers, indicating a large and dedicated digital audience. She is also active on other platforms like Twitter and Instagram, where she shares clips, commentary, and personal updates.
Final Words about Megyn Kelly
Currently, Megyn Kelly continues to host “The Megyn Kelly Show” on SiriusXM, solidifying her position as a leading voice in independent media. She has successfully reinvented her career after departing from mainstream cable news, building a media company and a platform that allows for open, and often contentious, dialogue on politics, law, and culture. In 2025, she announced plans to open a new live audience studio in Florida, signaling her ambition to further expand her media brand. Her journey from corporate lawyer to cable news star and now independent media entrepreneur reflects a career defined by ambition, sharp intellect, and a willingness to court controversy, ensuring her continued relevance in the American media landscape.
