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NBC's Megyn Kelly apologizes after backlash over her blackface comments
NBC host Megyn Kelly apologized for saying it was okay to wear blackface with Halloween costumes when she was a child. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC's Megyn Kelly apologizes after backlash over her blackface comments

NBC host Megyn Kelly is not a fan of politically correct culture, but she still felt the need to apologize for comments she made on her show Tuesday about white people dressing up in blackface, according to The Hill.

Kelly sent an email to her co-workers Tuesday afternoon telling them she was sorry for implying that it should be OK for a white person to wear blackface as a part of a Halloween costume.

"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," Kelly wrote. "Particularly on race and ethnicity issues which, far from being healed, have been exacerbated in our politics over the past year."

What did she say?

Kelly was leading a roundtable discussion about the unwritten rules of Halloween costumes, and what may be considered offensive.

During the discussion, she said that black people wearing whiteface or white people wearing blackface was allowed when she was a child, as long as the person was portraying a character.

Later in the discussion, she referenced a reality television personality who sparked controversy by darkening her face to dress as Diana Ross.

"People said that was racist and I don't know, I felt like, who doesn't love Diana Ross?" Kelly asked. "She wanted to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don't know how that got racist on Halloween."

Faced with some pushback by her cohosts about that, Kelly seemed exasperated.

"I can't keep up with the number of people that we're offending just by being normal people," Kelly concluded.

Kelly apologizes

After some hours of negative response from viewers and others who saw her comments, Kelly apologized.

"I realize now such behavior (wearing blackface) is indeed wrong, and I am sorry," Kelly wrote in her apology email. "The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent; the wounds too deep."

 

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