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Megyn Kelly Faces Backlash After Criticizing Olivia Rodrigo’s Support for Cornell Sexual Assault Victim
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly is drawing sharp criticism online following her harsh remarks about Olivia Rodrigo’s public support for the alleged sexual assault victim at Cornell University.
On the October 5 episode of her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly launched into an extended and profanity-laced tirade against the 23-year-old singer. Rodrigo had recently voiced her solidarity with the victim, known as Jane Doe, who was reportedly assaulted by multiple fraternity members in a case dating back to October 2024. Kelly’s comments sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many users condemning her words as “vile,” “disgusting,” and “downright evil.”
The controversy ignited after Olivia Rodrigo posted a message on her Instagram Stories on October 4, stating, “Shame on Cornell and on every institution who protects rapists and abusers over women.” She added, “I stand with Jane Doe. Her bravery reverberates across the country and the crimes against her will not go unpunished.”
In response, Kelly sarcastically echoed Rodrigo’s “I stand with Jane Doe” statement before launching a fierce verbal attack. “I mean, good Lord. Olivia, in sum, you don’t know what the f–k you’re talking about,” Kelly said, urging the singer to “shut up and stick to singing” and dismissing her activism as uninformed.
Kelly’s cutting remarks-telling Rodrigo to “be quiet” and that “adults are talking”-prompted a flood of reactions on X (formerly Twitter). One user commented, “Something is terribly wrong with Megyn Kelly.
She’s not well! Very disturbing person this woman!”
Another wrote, “Well every word of that is dripping with misogyny. Disgusting.”
Many also pointed out the irony given Kelly’s own history as a sexual harassment survivor. The former Fox News anchor publicly detailed her experiences with harassment by former Fox CEO Roger Ailes starting in 2005-an ordeal that inspired the 2019 film Bombshell. In a 2017 interview, Kelly acknowledged how widespread such abuses are, saying, “If you go into any room with 100 women and say how many women has this happened to, you’re going to have virtually all of the hands up.”
Social media users did not let the contradiction go unnoticed. One wrote, “Girl, do you even look in the mirror?
YOU WERE JANE DOE!” while another observed, “This woman always on the wrong side of history.
Her commitment is unparalleled.”
For those affected by sexual assault, confidential support is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.