Megyn Kelly and NBC News talk about the anchor leaving the network

October 26, 2018 / 11:20 GMT / Update 11:34 GMT

By Claire Atkinson and Dylan Byers

NBC News and Megyn Kelly are in talks about the anchor's departure from the network, according to a source close to the situation.

"Discussions have already begun on Megyn's release from the network," said the source, who was not allowed to speak in public on Thursday night.

NBC News declined to comment on the talks but said in an earlier statement: "Under the circumstances," Megyn Kelly Today "will be taped the rest of the week."

Kelly's officials are expected to meet with the company's executives on Friday, according to another source who is directly aware of the situation and who was not allowed to speak in public. The same source stated that it seemed "extremely unlikely" to stay on the network. A representative of Kelly declined to comment.

Leaders will probably wonder if Kelly will receive a financial package or if she has broken her contract with the network. Kelly receives $ 23 million a year and his three-year contract was signed in January 2017, according to a source close to the contract.

The presenter sparked immediate criticism Tuesday after defending the use of the blackface on Halloween.

"What is racist? Because you have problems if you are a white person who puts a black hangover for Halloween or a black person who makes a hangover for Halloween," she said. during a segment. "When I was a kid, it was OK as long as you dressed like a character."

His comments triggered a firestorm on social media and also drew criticism from his colleagues on "Today."

Kelly apologized on Wednesday for opening her show.

"I'm calling Megyn Kelly and I would like to start with two words: I'm sorry," she said. be part of any costume, Halloween or other. "

On Thursday, Kelly's broadcast aired a rehearsal.

His first comments led to the condemnation of his NBC News colleagues, including Al Roker, who spoke Wednesday of the "Today" episode of the historical context explaining why Blackface is offensive.

"She has to be more apologetic to the people of the country of color," Roker said. "It's a story that goes back to the juggling shows of the 1830s, which was about deprecating and denigrating a race, which was not good."

NBC News President Andy Lack made the remarks on Wednesday at a pre-scheduled event. "There is no other way of saying this: I condemn these words, there is no place for us on the airwaves or at this workplace," he said. -he declares.

Wednesday night, Kelly fired her artistic agent at the Creative Artists Agency and was in talks to be represented by the United Talent Agency, before this agency ended the conversations.

Kelly joined NBC News in January 2017 after playing a leading role at Fox News as a host of The Kelly File.

Shortly after joining NBC News, Kelly made headlines for several reasons, including interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Kelly's interview with Jane Fonda also sparked criticism after interviewing the Oscar-winning actress on Fonda's plastic surgery.

Kelly's show, which replaced the "Today" show with Tamron Hall and Roker, did not get the same ratings. Their period attracted a total of 2.68 million viewers in the first seven months of 2017, while Kelly's program averaged 2.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.