Megyn Kelly Under Fire From Critics for Saying Cornell 7 Victim May Have 'Enjoyed' Her Encounter

Critics condemned Megyn Kelly online after she suggested on the 5 October episode of 'The Megyn Kelly Show' that the woman alleging sexual assault in the Cornell 7 case may have enjoyed the encounter.

Her comments followed a civil lawsuit filed in September by an anonymous former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe. The woman alleges she was drugged with ketamine and sexually assaulted by seven former students who belonged to the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024.

Megyn Kelly's Comments About Appearance

'No one will even consider the possibility that this woman made a decision to get it on with four men total, not seven, and enjoyed it because — I'm just going to be honest, she's not the most attractive gal,' Kelly stated.

The SiriusXM host's reference to four men differed from the allegations involving seven former students. Her comments set out a theory about the complainant's behaviour and why she might have welcomed the encounter.

Kelly also commented on the complainant's arms and legs and referred to an online video she attributed to the woman. She suggested the complainant 'possibly enjoyed being admired', linking that speculation to her assessment of the woman's appearance.

How Megyn Kelly Framed the Encounter

Kelly argued that the attention might have influenced how the woman experienced the encounter. 'This is how women make these mistakes,' she continued, suggesting the complainant may have felt 'admired, wanted' and 'loved by these guys at Cornell'.

'But this is probably a first for her,' Kelly stated. 'She's probably thrilled to be so admired because she clearly didn't grow up the incredibly beautiful one.'

She described that interpretation as her opinion and maintained that her intention was not to insult the woman. 'I'm not trying to be insulting. I'm just trying to tell you the narrative that is likely to have occurred here, in my opinion.'

Kelly also challenged the description of the woman as a victim, claiming that the complainant had not initially characterised the encounter that way. She questioned why a different interpretation could not be considered and suggested the woman might have regarded the attention as 'a win'.

'Why do we have to go right to she's a victim?' she questioned. 'This is so disempowering to all of womankind, to all of us, to our daughters,' Kelly continued. 'We are capable of making decisions.'

She also cited the woman's drinking and her arrival at a fraternity house in support of that argument. 'She made the decision to drink and then show up at a fraternity house at 11 o'clock,' the podcaster added.

Social Media Users Condemn Her Remarks

Social media users criticised the host's remarks, with reactions ranging from disbelief to accusations that she was deliberately seeking attention. One person wrote, 'Coming from a victim of SA. Pathetic'.

Another accused Kelly of 'rage-baiting in a gross attempt to remain relevant' and urged others not to amplify her opinion.

'This was so unbelievable, even for her, I had to fact check it,' a critic stated. 'It checked out, just like her lack of humanity, character, empathy, or kindness.' Other comments included 'I can't believe she said this out loud' and 'She is a disgrace to all women'.

Jane Doe's identity is not publicly known. IBTimes UK cannot independently verify that the online video Kelly described features the complainant.