Megyn Kelly is a day away from settling with NBC, and we’ve just learned something shocking — NBC was paying her $25 million a year and the network may end up settling for close to $50 MILLION.
Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ … Megyn’s deal is 3 years firm, and she has around 1 year and 10 months to go. We’re told her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is going to have a call with NBC brass tomorrow and demand the network pay her full remaining salary, or face a lawsuit.
We’re told Freedman’s case is that Kelly was targeted early on after she made critical remarks about Matt Lauer on her show after he was fired for s**ual harassment. Lauer was well-liked at NBC, and the staff and talent became royally pissed off at Kelly because they felt she was attacking Lauer “with glee.”
RELATED: Megyn Kelly is negotiating her exit from NBC News
Our sources say Kelly believes her comments about NBC News Chairman Andy Lack pissed off Lack and other brass, and they had it out for her.
As for ending the relationship over her blackface comment, Kelly and Freedman will argue she was treated with gross unfairness, pointing to a town hall meeting Wednesday where NBC talent, including Al Roker, blasted her and she wasn’t invited to defend herself.
They also point to other NBC talent that got a pass for insensitive comments, such as Joy Reid, who made homophobic comments in a blog before she started at MSNBC, but was never punished.
And, TMZ can confirm, attorney Freedman sent an email to NBC News Prez Noah Oppenheim saying he wanted a face-to-face to discuss a settlement and wanted Ronan Farrow in the room. Farrow is about to release a book highly critical of NBC and the way it handled his Harvey Weinstein reporting. NBC shut down that request.
We’re told the showdown between NBC brass and Freedman will go down Friday during a phone call.
There are a lot of pissed off NBC staffers, who are watching the network cut costs left and right, yet they made a $75 million deal with Kelly to do 2 shows, neither of which showcased the skill set that made her famous.
[ H/T TMZ ]