Even though Megyn Kelly might be the highest-paid member of the NBC News lineup, she has still managed to land in hot waters around her superiors after an alleged mishap behind the scenes. More specifically, Kelly apparently attempted to book Catt Sadler, who was previously a host on the E! News show.
Why would this be a problem though? Sadler left her position upon finding out that Jason Kennedy, her then co-host, was making significantly more money than her. Rumors claim that the former Fox News Channel star wanted to interview her on Megyn Kelly Today to discuss wage gap issues and their relation to gender, and in this context, it is easy to see how the whole situation might have caught the wrong attention of the network’s executives.
It could have been seen as an attempt by Kelly to get some leverage in a potential upcoming discussion about her own salary, which could explain why executives are currently displeased with her actions. However, we do not expect any retaliation from the network, as that would probably paint them in an even worse light.
Most companies in this field have been stepping very carefully around issues related to gender lately, especially with all the sexual assault allegations flying in the entertainment industry after the start of the MeToo movement. It is easy to see how a company like NBC would want to distance themselves from potential controversy, although lashing out at one of their employees might not be the ideal way to go about that either.
Still, some insiders say that there is more going on behind the scenes, as that could add some extra layers to the situation. For instance, NBCUniversal owns both NBC and E! Entertainment and covering the topic further could be a form of embarrassment for the bosses at the corporation.