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Megyn Kelly says Jeffrey Epstein was not a pedophile as he liked 15-year-olds: ‘He wasn't into 8 year olds’

Megyn Kelly is under public backlash for claiming that Jeffrey Epstein was actually “not a pedophile” because he preferred 15-year-old girls

Published on: Nov 14, 2025, 11:21:07 IST
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Megyn Kelly is under public backlash for claiming that Jeffrey Epstein was actually “not a pedophile” because he preferred 15-year-old girls rather than 8-year-old ones.

US journalist Megyn Kelly is facing backlash for her statement on Jeffrey Epstein. (AFP)
US journalist Megyn Kelly is facing backlash for her statement on Jeffrey Epstein. (AFP)

On Wednesday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the American attorney sought to downplay the seriousness of the charges against the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking of minors. The US Department of Justice says he had sex with girls as young as 14.

Kelly, however, insisted that Epstein was into the “barely legal type”, and so she was not sure whether the term “pedophile” could be applied to him.

Megyn Kelly’s remarks on Jeffrey Epstein

In conversation with NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon, Megyn Kelly said that a person closely associated with the case held the view that Epstein was not a pedophile.

She said that the late financier preferred girls who looked like they could be legal, rather than those under the age of 10.

“As for Epstein, I’ve said this before, but just as a reminder, I do know somebody very, very close to this case who is in a position to know virtually everything,” Kelly said. “Not everything, but virtually everything. And this person has told me from the start years and years ago that Jeffrey Epstein, in this person’s view, was not a pedophile.”

“He was into the barely legal type, like he liked 15 year old girls…He wasn't into like 8 year olds. But he liked the very young, like teen types… that would look legal to a passerby.

“There's a difference between a 15 year old and a 5 year old,” said Kelly.

Watch the video here.

Backlash against Megyn Kelly

Kelly’s statements unsurprisingly invited backlash.

“This is career-ending for Megyn Kelly. 15 year olds are CHILDREN. They can’t drive. They can’t see rated R movies. But disgusting 50 year old men should be allowed to rape them? Goodbye. Forever,” wrote Ally Sammarco.

“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,” X user Mike said.

People accused Kelly, a vocal MAGA supporter, of trying to downplay the Epstein saga to the benefit of US President Donald Trump.

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience -- from viral videos to human interest copies that spark a conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and finding newsworthy angles in viral content. She writes about a wide range of topics, from business leaders and social issues to everyday people and internet trends. She enjoys speaking to content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs and turning their experiences and stories into engaging, relatable articles.Read More