Overview: Megyn Kelly drew heavy criticism after saying on her November 13 show that Jeffrey Epstein "was not a pedophile" but "liked 15-year-old girls," comments many saw as minimizing his crimes. Her remarks conflicted with a 2018 interview in which she emphasized that those under 18 cannot legally consent in California. The exchange referenced claims about extensive alleged abuse material and prompted widespread social media backlash as new House Oversight records about Epstein were released.
Megyn Kelly Draws Outrage After Saying Epstein 'Was Not a Pedophile' but 'Liked 15-Year-Olds'
Overview: Megyn Kelly drew heavy criticism after saying on her November 13 show that Jeffrey Epstein "was not a pedophile" but "liked 15-year-old girls," comments many saw as minimizing his crimes. Her remarks conflicted with a 2018 interview in which she emphasized that those under 18 cannot legally consent in California. The exchange referenced claims about extensive alleged abuse material and prompted widespread social media backlash as new House Oversight records about Epstein were released.
06:30 PM, 11/14/2025Society
Megyn Kelly Criticized for Remarks About Jeffrey Epstein
Megyn Kelly faced swift and widespread criticism after saying on the November 13 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show that Jeffrey Epstein "was not a pedophile" while adding that he "liked 15-year-old girls." The comments provoked outrage because Epstein was convicted on child sex offenses and has been widely associated with sexual abuse of minors.
Kelly said she was repeating an account from a friend with an "inside view" of the Epstein case. She told listeners: "But that he was into the barely legal type. Like, he liked 15-year-old girls. I realise this is disgusting, I'm definitely not trying to make an excuse for this, I'm just giving you facts." She went on to distinguish that, in her telling, Epstein "wasn't into, like, 8-year-olds," and said there was a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old.
"So I don't know what's true about him, but we have yet to see anybody come forward and say, 'I was eight, I was under 10, I was under 14, when I first came within his purview.' You can say that's a distinction without a difference." — Megyn Kelly
Earlier reporting and public records, however, include allegations and material that have indicated abuse of minors across a range of ages. Kelly also referenced a claim by then-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi that Epstein had "tens of thousands of videos of alleged... child sexual abuse material on his computer," saying that Bondi's statement initially led her to believe Epstein was a pedophile, even as she questioned Bondi's credibility.
The exchange included guest Batya Ungar-Sargon, who disagreed with Kelly's attempt to draw a distinction between older and younger minors in assessing Epstein's culpability. Kelly has not publicly retracted or clarified the comments.
Reaction and Context
The remarks provoked an immediate reaction online: "Epstein" and "Megyn Kelly" trended on X on the morning of November 14, with many users calling the comments minimizing and inconsistent with Kelly's own past statements. Critics pointed to a 2018 interview on Megyn Kelly TODAY, when Kelly emphasized that the age of consent in California is 18 and stressed that 14- and 17-year-olds cannot legally consent in those circumstances.
The comments came the same day the House Oversight Committee released additional records related to the Epstein case, including emails in which Epstein wrote that former President Donald Trump was "the dog that hasn't barked" and suggested Trump "knew about the girls." Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the matter a "Jeffrey Epstein hoax." The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on whether the Department of Justice should release all files related to the Epstein case.
Note: This article summarizes public remarks and reporting. Epstein was convicted on charges related to sex offenses involving minors; multiple investigations and lawsuits have addressed the scope of his conduct.