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Megyn Kelly's controversial Epstein remark angers teens, former child actors; 'I'm FIFTEEN'
Megyn Kelly's podcast comments on Jeffrey Epstein's victims spark backlash from former child actors and teens, who assert that 15-year-olds are children.
After journalist Megyn Kelly made comments on her podcast that seemed to downplay the youth of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, former child actors and teen girls around the US posted pictures of themselves at the age of 15. Depending on the state, the legal age of consent in the US ranges from 16 to 18 years. It is against the law for an adult to have sexual relations with a girl younger than 16 years old in every state in the US.
Megyn Kelly's controversial Epstein remark
During a conversation with NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on November 12, Kelly remarked that she is aware of “someone very close to this case”. She further said that “Epstein, according to this individual, was not a pedophile.”
She went on to say that he was attracted to the barely legal type, specifically, “he liked 15-year-old girls.” “I'm not trying to make an excuse for this, I'm just giving you facts — that he wasn't into, like, 8-year-olds. But he liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passer-by.”
Teens, former child actors respond to Megyn Kelly's comment
Fumed by Kelly remarks, several former child actor and teens on social media felt compelled to assert that 15-year-olds are indeed children.
Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon expressed her thoughts on Instagram, writing: “Megyn Kelly, I have a question for you, from one mother to another.” “If Jeffrey Epstein were still alive, would you be comfortable with your teenage daughter being alone with him in his mansion? [...] And please, don't say 15 is barely legal. It is 100% illegal, and you know that.”
Later, former child artist Christina Ricci shared a Instagram story, in which she mentioned, “This woman is a danger to children.”
Valerie Bertinelli, known for her role in the sitcom One Day at a Time, shared a photograph of herself at the age of 15, accompanied by the caption: “This picture was taken in 1975. I'm 15. I'm a child. I'm gonna say this a little louder for those in the back row. I'm FIFTEEN. I'M A CHILD.”
She concluded the post, urging others to come forward and storm the internet with “pictures of all of us at 15.”
Also Read: Bill Clinton breaks silence on Epstein probe amid ‘blowing Bubba’ buzz, ‘These emails prove…’
'You're protecting the predator', teens to Megyn Kelly
Following this, several teens shared their opinions on social media, with one girl, claiming to be 14-year-old girl named Eloise, posted a TikTok video from the handle @cheeringforchange. In response to Kelly's remarks, she expressed her desire to offer a “reality check from a literal child,” NPR reported.
“The minute adults start defending predators by debating the age of a child, you're not protecting the truth. You're protecting the predator. And you shouldn't need a freshman to tell you that.”
Kelly has not yet made a public response to the intense outrage on social media.
The journalist contentious remarks were made on the same day when the House Oversight Committee released further documents pertaining to the Epstein case. The convicted pedophile said in the emails that Donald Trump “knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine [Maxwell] to stop.”
Trump, however, has called the scandal the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax” and has not been charged with any misconduct.
