Megyn Kelly Blasted: Christina Ricci Says She's 'Danger To Children' For Downplaying Epstein Crimes

It's a horrifying distinction to have to make: where does one draw the line between monstrous and utterly depraved? That's the unnerving, ethical question at the heart of a highly inflammatory public dispute between Hollywood star Christina Ricci and broadcast journalist Megyn Kelly.

The row exploded after Kelly's recent podcast segment appeared to minimise the atrocities committed by the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, prompting the Yellowjackets actress to publicly declare Kelly a 'danger to children.'

The public feud erupted after Kelly, during a recent episode of her eponymous podcast, spoke with journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon about the release of Epstein emails by the House Oversight Committee. Kelly dropped a bombshell, referencing an unnamed individual close to the case whose view, she claimed, was that Epstein 'was not a pedophile.'

This assertion, and the subsequent elaboration, struck a raw nerve with Ricci and countless others. Kelly's comments, which were re-shared across social media, featured a deeply troubling qualification: 'He wasn't into 8-year-olds, but he liked the very young teen types. There's a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know?'

Ricci, 45, did not mince words in her response, which she shared on her Instagram Stories. The actress first posted a quote that directly refuted Kelly's framing, stating: 'There's definitely a difference between a 5-year-old and a 15-year-old. But that difference is not 'whether or not sleeping with them makes you a pedophile.''

The next, and most potent, slide contained her personal indictment of the former Fox News host: 'This woman is a danger to children,' Ricci wrote.

A representative for Kelly has not yet responded to the intense reaction regarding Ricci's specific accusation.

Public Backlash And Megyn Kelly's Attempt To Justify Her Source

It should be noted that elsewhere in the podcast, Kelly, 54, did remark that 'the whole thing is just disgusting,' and attempted to frame her controversial comments as stating 'facts', rather than making 'excuses' for the disgraced financier.

'I'm definitely not trying to make an excuse for this—I'm just giving you facts,' she remarked. She continued her defence of the source's original claim, stating that Epstein 'wasn't into, like, 8-year-olds,' but that he liked 'the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passerby.'

Kelly went on to say she had been 'reliably told' this about Epstein 'for many years'. She explained that her perspective only shifted after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced earlier this year that the FBI allegedly had 'tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn' on his computer that they were reviewing.

'For the first time, I thought, 'Oh, no, he was an actual pedophile,'' Kelly said. However, she immediately added a qualifier to Bondi's comments: 'She never clarified it. I don't know whether it's true.'

Regardless of her attempts at providing context, Kelly's comments, particularly the perceived attempt to differentiate between victims' ages, caused an instant wave of furious backlash across social media platform X.

Critics were quick and unforgiving. 'SIRIUS XM NEEDS TO FIRE MEGYN KELLY RIGHT NOW!' one person posted in response to a clip of her segment. Another user on X penned a scathing challenge: 'I want Megyn Kelly to say this to a 15-year-old victim's face. I want her to look that child in the eye and say it's less bad.' A third commenter wrote: 'A 15 year old IS A CHILD. Very disappointed in you.'

The intense reaction underscores the public's low tolerance for any comments that could be seen as minimising or rationalising the heinous acts of Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his New York prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors.

Megyn Kelly And The Ethics Of Minimising Atrocities

This is certainly not the first time Kelly has found herself at the centre of a firestorm stoked by her podcast commentary. In recent months, she has made waves by claiming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are likely to lose their titles, criticising Sydney Sweeney's viral transparent red-carpet dress, and labelling Jennifer Lopez an 'adult entertainer' for a sultry performance over the summer.

The public dispute between Christina Ricci and Megyn Kelly illuminates a fundamental, urgent conversation about how society discusses the abuse of children and the definition of a 'pedophile.' While Kelly stands by her sources and attempts to provide 'facts,' Ricci and many others argue that any attempt to draw a line between the suffering of a 15-year-old and a younger child is both morally reprehensible and dangerous.

The intense social media reaction confirms that the public remains vigilant and deeply sensitive to any discourse that appears to minimise the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. Kelly's insistence on relaying a third-party perspective highlights the thin line between objective reporting and the perceived rationalisation of atrocities.