Yikes!Jenna Bush Hager Says Megyn Kelly’s Blackface Comments Were ‘Horrifying’ And Made Her ‘Sad’

In the days following Megyn Kelly‘s controversial blackface comments, several of the Today show hosts have opened up about the situation and slammed Megyn’s remarks. Just before NBC confirmed that they are canceling Megyn Kelly Today, Jenna Hager Bush revealed in an interview that Megyn’s words were “horrifying” and left her feeling “sad.”

While talking to E! News, Jenna, 36, first explained that the on-air discussion Megyn brought up “wasn’t what we were there to talk about.” She continued, “Obviously, in this day and age, but in any day and age, when there’s talk of something that would make somebody feel bad, it’s not something we stand for, ever. Not then, not now. It made me sad.”

On Oct. 23, Megyn questioned why blackface Halloween costumes are “racist” during a panel discussion between her, Jenna, Melissa Rivers, and Jacob Soboroff. “But what is racist? Because… you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK as long as you were dressing up as like a character,” she said on the morning program.

Megyn later issued two public apologies — one to her colleagues through an internal email and a second to viewers during an emotional on-air statement. “I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and I am sorry. The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent; the wounds too deep. I’ve never been a [politically correct] kind of person — but I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. This is a time for more understanding, love, sensitivity, and honor, and I want to be part of that,” she wrote to her colleagues.

Jenna isn’t the only Today star to have spoken out about the remarks made by Megyn. Today host Hoda Kotb previously told E! News, “We don’t really know what is ahead for her right now.” Craig Melvin described the situation as “indefensible” while MSNBC correspondent Jacob — who was on Megyn’s show when she made the racist comments — tweeted that Megyn’s statements were “vile,” and apologized to viewers by writing, “I’m ashamed I didn’t speak up more emphatically at the table.”

On Oct. 26, NBC confirmed that the journalist would not return to her third-hour Today show and on Oct. 29, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker took over Megyn Kelly Today‘s usual timeslot.

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