"Meegyn Kelly walks a fine line between defending serial rapist and victim-blaming"
Megyn Kelly's SiriusXM show has become the focal point of heated debate after she sidestepped the issue of Jeffrey Epstein's heinous crimes, opting instead to nuance his behavior as merely a preference for "very young teen types" - specifically 15-year-old girls.
Her assertion that there is a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old was met with scathing criticism from advocates and survivors who pointed out the stark reality of Epstein's decades-long pattern of coercion, trafficking, and sexual abuse involving minors.
Kelly seemed to downplay the severity of his actions by suggesting that labeling him a pedophile might be inaccurate. Her claim came after she distanced herself from former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had reported that Epstein possessed thousands of graphic videos involving minors. Kelly now questions the accuracy of these reports and has expressed distrust in Bondi's sources.
Critics have condemned Kelly for what many see as victim-blaming tactics by minimizing Epstein’s abuse and implying consent is present even at ages where it is non-existent. The notion that there exists a meaningful distinction between 15-year-old and 5-year-old girls in terms of pedophilia is seen as nothing short of reprehensible.
Kelly's SiriusXM show, which included the segment with a clip from Bondi, prompted immediate backlash - from both critics who deemed her comments tasteless to survivors who spoke out against what they perceived as minimizing Epstein's abuse.
Megyn Kelly's SiriusXM show has become the focal point of heated debate after she sidestepped the issue of Jeffrey Epstein's heinous crimes, opting instead to nuance his behavior as merely a preference for "very young teen types" - specifically 15-year-old girls.
Her assertion that there is a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old was met with scathing criticism from advocates and survivors who pointed out the stark reality of Epstein's decades-long pattern of coercion, trafficking, and sexual abuse involving minors.
Kelly seemed to downplay the severity of his actions by suggesting that labeling him a pedophile might be inaccurate. Her claim came after she distanced herself from former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had reported that Epstein possessed thousands of graphic videos involving minors. Kelly now questions the accuracy of these reports and has expressed distrust in Bondi's sources.
Critics have condemned Kelly for what many see as victim-blaming tactics by minimizing Epstein’s abuse and implying consent is present even at ages where it is non-existent. The notion that there exists a meaningful distinction between 15-year-old and 5-year-old girls in terms of pedophilia is seen as nothing short of reprehensible.
Kelly's SiriusXM show, which included the segment with a clip from Bondi, prompted immediate backlash - from both critics who deemed her comments tasteless to survivors who spoke out against what they perceived as minimizing Epstein's abuse.