Megyn Kelly's Blackface Comments Slammed by Celebrities Who Mock Her Insisting That Santa Claus Was White

Megyn Kelly found herself in the hot seat after she suggested there was nothing wrong with wearing blackface on Halloween. The NBC host made the comment on her daytime talk show, which included a panel of TV personalities like Melissa Rivers, Jenna Bush Hager and Jacob Soboroff discussing cultural insensitivity on Halloween.

While debating on "what is racist" and the political correctness of considering a Halloween costume, Kelly reflected on her own childhood during a time when wearing blackface was—in Kelly's eyes—totally appropriate.

"You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person that puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character," Kelly argued.

It's worth noting 47-year-old Kelly was born in 1970.

Her comment sparked a wave of criticism online, particularly from folks who recalled Kelly's previous claim that Santa Claus could only be a white man.

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt was one of the first to call Kelly out on Twitter, and he referenced his very own brutal experience in wearing blackface around the time Kelly deemed it was appropriate. "You and I are approximately the same age. Blackface was NOT okay when we were kids. Take it from a big-hearted boy who just wanted to show his love for Nipsey Russell on the worst Halloween of my life," he wrote.

Dozens of other celebs chimed in, including W. Kamau Bell, who wrote, "@megynKelly – 'I don't get why Black face is so offensive?' Also @megynkelly – 'KIDS, NEVER FORGET SANTA CLAUS IS WHITE.'"

Comedian Patrick Monahan suggested the only time Kelly would be offended by blackface is "if the person is also dressed as Santa Claus."

Kelly made the impassioned charge that Santa must be white back when she was still a host on Fox News in 2013. She was discussing a Slate article by writer Aisha Harris that challenged the idea of Santa being white versus black. Kelly, seemingly enraged by the idea, argued some things—like the race of Santa as well as Jesus Christ—didn't need to change just to make people feel comfortable. "Yet another person claiming it's racist to have a white Santa. By the way, for all you kids watching at home Santa just is white," she said.

"Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't mean it has to change," Kelly said. "Jesus was a white man, too. He's a historical figure that's a verifiable fact, as is Santa. I just want kids to know that. How do you reverse it in the middle of the legacy and change the story and change Santa from white to black?"