Megyn Kelly offered some daunting advice to women thinking about reporting sexual harassment in the workplace.
“Even if HR is a real option, it doesn’t always go your way,” Kelly told Seth Meyers Wednesday on his “Late Night” show.
“If you take a shot at the king you better kill him, you’ve heard that saying,” she said. “If you don’t win this showdown, you know what’s going to happen to you.”
While workplace retaliation is illegal, Kelly told Meyers it can often take the form of more subtle consequences that would be difficult to prove.
In her interview, Kelly also picked up on a familiar theme often cited by harassment accusers — the ineffectiveness of human resources departments in general to deal with the issue.
“I hate when people ask, ‘Did you report it, did you report it? Why didn’t you report it?'” she said.
“The first question you need to ask is, ‘Was there a safe avenue for reporting’ and only if the answer to that question is yes do you get to ask that next question,” said Kelly.
“Let me tell you, the answer to that question at my workplace was no for years,” she continued. “HR was controlled by the CEO who was harassing half of the women in the building. It was not a meaningful outlet.”
11 Women Who Have Left Fox News Shows, From Megyn Kelly to Laurie Dhue (Photos)
Fox News has enhanced the careers of numerous women who have served as hosts. All were hired by Roger Ailes, the former network boss who exited in August 2016 amid a sexual harassment scandal.
Greta Van Susteren -- who had been one of Ailes' most stalwart defenders -- left in early September 2016 after saying that Fox had "not felt like a home" for years.
Laurie Dhue was a familiar presence on Fox in the early 2000s but left the network in 2008. She has reportedly been shopping a tell-all book this year.
Outspoken host Elisabeth Hasselbeck left "The View" to join "Fox & Friends" in 2013, which she exited at the end of 2015.
Andrea Tantaros, former co-host of "The Five," filed a lawsuit saying that Fox News operated like a "sex-fueled, Playboy-Mansion-like cult."
Alisyn Camerota hosted a number of Fox News programs during a 16-year run that ended in 2014. She now hosts "New Day" on CNN.
Rudi Bakhtiar jumped from CNN to Fox News in 2006. She claimed she was sexually harassed by correspondent Brian Wilson and later spoke out against Fox News' culture after the Ailes scandal broke. She now works at Reuters.
Kiran Chetry was a Fox News host from 2001 to 2007. She was reportedly also an aspirant for a role on "Fox & Friends," the network's morning show.
Libertarian commentator Jedediah Bila appeared on Fox's "Outnumbered" and later turned up on ABC's "The View."
Her lawsuit started it all: Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson claims Ailes repeatedly sexually harassed her. Her suit was later settled for a reported $20 million.
Megyn Kelly ended her 12-year run with Fox News in early 2017 in exchange for a weekday show at NBC. She turned down a four-year, $100 million offer to stay with Fox News saying that one of the reasons for her departure was to spend more time with her kids. Kelly said she was among those at Fox News sexually harassed by Ailes.
"Happening Now" anchor Jenna Lee announced that she was leaving the Fox News after working there for 10 years. Lee said she still loves being a journalist and that she has "some really big ideas on how to better serve you in that particular arena" without Fox News.
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The Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly scandals have cast even some old departures in a new light
Fox News has enhanced the careers of numerous women who have served as hosts. All were hired by Roger Ailes, the former network boss who exited in August 2016 amid a sexual harassment scandal.
