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Kathie Lee Gifford ‘Hated’ NBC’s Decision To Hire Megyn Kelly ‘At Such A High Salary’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The plot thickens. Hours after news broke that Kathie Lee Gifford would be leaving her Today show post after more than a decade, a source has revealed exclusively to In Touch that Megyn Kelly may have had something to do with it.
“Kathie Lee hated the decision NBC made to bring Megyn Kelly on at such a high salary,” the source admitted. Claiming that the seasoned TV personality though it was “a slap in the face to the staff they had in-house.”
The source went on to reveal that Kathie also took issue with how the network “treated [Megyn] when it didn’t work out.” For those of you who don’t know, Megyn left the hit series earlier this year over backlash surrounding her comments on blackface. As it stands, over two months later, Megyn is reportedly still working out a deal for her NBC settlement contract.
In addition to the controversy surrounding Megyn, the source noted that Kathie also had more personal reasonings for saying goodbye to Today. “She feels NBC didn’t respect her as much as some of the other talent at the network. That became evidently clear with Hoda’s rise,” the source said referring to Kathie’s growing tensions with co-host Hoda Kotb.
“Also, a few years ago the network wouldn’t let her discuss her wine brand on the air. They made up an excuse about a possible merger they were considering [with Time Warner, it never happened] as the reason, which never even happened. Bottom line, Kathie Lee was ready to go, her heart told her, leave before they ask you to leave,” the source added.
Ultimately, the source made it clear that Kathie was no longer “happy with NBC and where they were headed.” The beloved 65-year-old will continue her duties on Today until April 2019. While fans are no doubt sad to see her go, it seems as though her career will continue to thrive without a hitch.
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