CBS News anchor Gayle King condemned Megyn Kelly’s blackface remarks Thursday night on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
“She clearly stepped in it,” King said on the CBS late-night show.
“Listen, I have blackface 24/7,” King said. “So it is never an issue for me. I thought her … Andy Lack, who runs NBC [News], summed it up very nicely when he said, ‘you know, it’s a very unfortunate thing.'”
Also Read: If Megyn Kelly Leaves 'Today,' NBC Won't Miss Her Ratings
Gaffe-aside, King says she likes Kelly as a person, and called the former Fox News Channel personality “a very smart cookie.”
“I know Megyn Kelly. I happen to like Megyn Kelly. She and I, Stephen, went to the Kentucky Derby two years ago and we bonded,” she continued. “I think she’s a very smart cookie, very smart at what she does. But I think she clearly stepped in it. She made a terrible mistake, and I was surprised that she would make a mistake of that kind. But she’s very smart, she’s an attorney.”
“And I didn’t like it when she said Santa Claus is white,” King said. “But I never wish bad on anybody.”
Also Read: NBC: Megyn Kelly in Talks to Leave Network After 'Blackface' Gaffe (Video)
“This is a rough time for her,” King concluded the matter.
Watch the video above.
After defending wearing blackface on Halloween in a “Megyn Kelly Today” segment earlier this week, Kelly, who has apologized numerous times for her remarks, is currently in talks with NBC to exit the network.
30 Most and Least-Liked TV Media Personalities: From David Muir to Megyn Kelly (Photos)
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TheWrap
TheWrap studied 30 popular TV media personalities according to their Q Scores, an industry-used measurement of a celebrity or a brand's likability based on marketing surveys of 25- to 54-year-olds. We also included a Familiarity score for each, which indicates how well-known someone is to survey-takers.
It's worth noting that the Positive Q Score for any celebrity with a Familiarity score less than 20 should be considered unstable. And some media stars like Fox News' Laura Ingraham and CNN's Don Lemon have not yet been included in surveys.
Also Read: 47 Fall TV Actors Ranked Most to Least Liked, From Michael Weatherly to Matt LeBlanc (Photos)
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ABC News
Rank: 1
Personality: David Muir, anchor of "ABC World News Tonight"
Positive Q Score: 25
Familiarity: 25Also Read: 34 Fall TV Actresses Ranked Most to Least Liked, From Pauley Perrette to America Ferrera (Photos)
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Rank: 2 (tie)
Personality: Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Channel's "Fox News Sunday "
Positive Q Score: 21
Familiarity: 31 -
ABC News
Rank: 2 (tie)
Personality: Lara Spencer, co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America"
Positive Q Score: 21
Familiarity: 20Also Read: Michael Strahan vs Kelly Ripa: Here’s How Much He’s Better Liked
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Getty
Rank: 2 (tie)
Personality: Jeff Glor, anchor of CBS' "CBS Evening News"
Positive Q Score: 21
Familiarity: 10Also Read: Here’s Donald Trump’s Horrible Q Score
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Getty
Rank: 5
Personality: John Dickerson, co-host of CBS' "CBS This Morning"
Positive Q Score: 20
Familiarity: 10 -
GMA
Rank: 6
Personality: Ginger Zee, weathercaster on "GMA," chief meteorologist for ABC News
Positive Q Score: 19
Familiarity: 19 -
Spike
Rank: 7 (tie)
Personality: Michael Strahan, co-host of "GMA," former NFL player
Positive Q Score: 18
Familiarity: 45 -
Getty
Rank: 7 (tie)
Personality: Lester Holt, anchor of NBC's "NBC Nightly News"
Positive Q Score: 18
Familiarity: 41 -
Fox News
Rank: 9 (tie)
Personality: Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News Channel's "Tucker Carlson Tonight"
Positive Q Score: 17
Familiarity: 23 -
ABC News
Rank: 9 (tie)
Personality: Amy Robach, news anchor on ABC's "GMA"
Positive Q Score: 17
Familiarity: 14Also Read: Why Stephen Colbert Is the Perfect Choice for CBS
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Getty
Rank: 11
Personality: Anderson Cooper, host of CNN's "AC 360"
Positive Q Score: 15
Familiarity: 64Also Read: The Most and Least Liked TV Newscasters – From Scott Pelley to Chris Matthews
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Getty
Rank: 11 (tie)
Personality: Hoda Kotb, co-host of NBC's "Today" show
Positive Q Score: 15
Familiarity: 35Also Read: The Most and Least Liked Late Night Talk Show Hosts: From Stephen Colbert to Arsenio Hall
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NBC
Rank: 11 (tie)
Personality: Chuck Todd, Moderator on NBC's "Meet the Press"
Positive Q Score: 15 (Summer 2017)
Familiarity: 20Also Read: Hollywood’s Most- & Least-Liked Execs? Survey Says …
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NBC
Rank: 11 (tie)
Personality: Willie Geist, co-anchor of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" and anchor of "Sunday Today with Willie Geist"
Positive Q Score: 15
Familiarity: 16Also Read: The Most and Least Liked Morning TV Hosts — From Robin Roberts to Kathie Lee Gifford
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Getty
Rank: 15 (tie)
Personality: Al Roker, weathercaster/co-host on NBC's "Today"
Positive Q Score: 14
Familiarity: 54Also Read: The Most and Least Liked Daytime TV Hosts – From Ellen to Wendy Williams
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Getty
Rank: 15 (tie)
Personality: Gayle King, co-host of CBS' "CBS This Morning"
Positive Q Score: 14
Familiarity: 35Also Read: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Stars Samira Wiley and Madeline Brewer Portraits (Exclusive Photos)
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Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images
Rank: 15 (tie)
Personality: Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America"
Positive Q Score: 14
Familiarity: 34Also Read: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos)
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YouTube
Rank: 15 (tie)
Personality: Shepard Smith, Fox News Channel's chief news anchor and managing editor of its breaking news division
Positive Q Score: 14
Familiarity: 21Also Read: 7 Stars Who Have Joined #DeleteFacebook Movement, From Will Ferrell to Susan Sarandon (Photos)
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CNN
Rank: 15 (tie)
Personality: Christopher Cuomo, host/anchor of CNN's "New Day"
Positive Q Score: 14
Familiarity: 15Also Read: 13 Horror Movies to Stream on Netflix for Friday the 13th (Photos)
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Rank: 20 (tie)
Personality: Carson Daly, host of "Today" digital studio, "The Voice," and "Last Call With Carson Daly"
Positive Q Score: 12
Familiarity: 58Also Read: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Career Bump: 11 Contestants Who Got Big Career Bump (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 20 (tie)
Personality: Brian Williams, MSNBC anchor, former host of "NBC Nightly News"
Positive Q Score: 12
Familiarity: 38Also Read: 13 Cursed Movies for Friday the 13th, From ‘Poltergeist’ to ‘The Crow’ (Photos)
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MSNBC
Rank: 20 (tie)
Personality: Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show"
Positive Q Score: 12
Familiarity: 36Also Read: 19 Netflix Stand-Up Comedy Specials of 2018 Ranked, From Ricky Gervais to Chris Rock (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 20 (tie)
Personality: Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC's "Today"
Positive Q Score: 12
Familiarity: 21 -
ABC
Rank: 24
Personality: George Stephanopoulos, chief anchor and chief political correspondent for ABC News, co-anchor of "GMA"
Positive Q Score: 11
Familiarity: 45 -
Fox News Channel
Rank: 25 (tie)
Personality: Sean Hannity, host of Fox News Channel's "Hannity"
Positive Q Score: 10
Familiarity: 34Also Read: 31 Scene-Stealing Animals in Movies and TV (Photos)
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YouTube
Rank: 25 (tie)
Personality: Nicolle Wallace, political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, former co-host on "The View"
Positive Q Score: 10
Familiarity: 12Also Read: From Wags to Riches: 9 of TV’s Most Famous Dogs (Photos)
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Rank: 27 (tie)
Personality: Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball"
Positive Q Score: 8 (Winter 2017)
Familiarity: 34Also Read: Bill Cosby Scandal Timeline: From First Accusation to Retrial (Photos)
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MSNBC
Rank: 27 (tie)
Personality: Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe"
Positive Q Score: 8
Familiarity: 20Also Read: Every ‘SNL’ Alec Baldwin Donald Trump Sketch Ranked, From Least to Most Retweetable (Photos)
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CBS
Rank: 27 (tie)
Personality: Norah O'Donnell, co-host of "CBS This Morning"
Positive Q Score: 8
Familiarity: 13Also Read: 13 Worst ‘Trading Spaces’ Designs, From the Sob-Inducing Fireplace to Straw-Covered Walls (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 30
Personality: Megyn Kelly, host of "Megyn Kelly Today"
Positive Q Score: 6
Familiarity: 41Also Read: 10 Epic Celebrity Instagram Fails, from Lorde’s Bathtub to Mischa Barton’s Boat (Photos)
TheWrap studied and ranked the Q Scores for television’s most popular anchors and newscasters
TheWrap studied 30 popular TV media personalities according to their Q Scores, an industry-used measurement of a celebrity or a brand's likability based on marketing surveys of 25- to 54-year-olds. We also included a Familiarity score for each, which indicates how well-known someone is to survey-takers.
It's worth noting that the Positive Q Score for any celebrity with a Familiarity score less than 20 should be considered unstable. And some media stars like Fox News' Laura Ingraham and CNN's Don Lemon have not yet been included in surveys.
Also Read: 47 Fall TV Actors Ranked Most to Least Liked, From Michael Weatherly to Matt LeBlanc (Photos)
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