Megyn Kelly announced Friday that her years-long friendship with Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro has come to an end following what she described as an unwarranted public attack during the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix.
The SiriusXM host addressed attendees at the conservative gathering just one day after Shapiro criticized her from the same stage.
Kelly made clear she would not tolerate what she characterized as attempts to control her speech and professional decisions.
During his Thursday speech at AmericaFest, Shapiro took aim at several media personalities in the conservative sphere.
Among his targets was Kelly, whom he accused of failing to adequately address statements made by Candace Owens.
Shapiro specifically claimed Kelly had downplayed Owens’ conduct.
The controversy stems from Owens pushing theories related to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Kelly told the Friday crowd that Shapiro crossed an unacceptable line by labeling her a friend while simultaneously launching his criticism.
She rejected his approach entirely.
“I object to the whole thing. Ben and I, he had the nerve to call me a friend right before he called me a despicable coward for not calling out the people he wants called out,” Kelly stated.
She continued her criticism by characterizing Shapiro’s behavior as contradictory and controlling.
Kelly said Shapiro appeared to want both authority over her and protection from her at the same time.
“So he both wants to parent me and be my child,” Kelly said.
“He wants to tell me what I have to do and who I have to say what to. And then when I don’t, he and some of his friends want to act like utter victims because I won’t do what they say.”
Kelly accused Shapiro and his allies of seeking her intervention in disputes while refusing to accept her independence.
She rejected any notion that she bore responsibility for defending them publicly.
“They need me. I have to be their daddy and step in to protect them,” she said, adding firmly, “And I am not their daddy.”
The broadcaster expressed resentment at what she viewed as Shapiro’s presumption in dictating appropriate conduct for other media figures.
Kelly made her position on their relationship status unmistakably clear.
“I resent that he thinks he’s in a position to decide who must say what to whom and when. So I don’t think we are friends anymore,” Kelly declared.
Kelly reminded the audience of her role in elevating Shapiro’s profile during the early stages of his career.
She said she featured him regularly on Fox News Channel programs when he had minimal public recognition.
“I’ve been a very good friend to Ben. Nobody knew who the heck Ben Shapiro was when I started putting him on my shows on the Fox News channel. And I helped make him a star,” Kelly said.
She noted that despite recent tensions, she had continued supporting Shapiro professionally.
Kelly pointed to his recent appearance on her tour as evidence of her ongoing goodwill toward him.
Kelly said she provided Shapiro with an extensive and complimentary introduction during that tour stop.
She explained her decision to give him a ten-minute introduction was motivated by knowledge of his business challenges.
“I gave him the most kind introduction I could possibly give him because I know that he’s losing subscribers. A lot,” Kelly said, adding she hoped to help him by personally vouching for him.
The media personality also challenged Shapiro’s apparent belief in his authority within conservative circles.
Kelly questioned whether he possessed the influence he seemed to claim.
“I found it kind of funny that Ben thinks he has the power to decide who gets excommunicated from the conservative movement, which shows a willful blindness about his position in it,” Kelly said.
She compared Shapiro’s stance to a minor authority figure overestimating their power.
Kelly used a middle school analogy to illustrate her point about hierarchies.
“It reminded me a little of when the girl who was the head of our middle school chorus told me she was going to take all my friends away from me. Chorus? A head cheerleader, maybe,” Kelly said.
Kelly also addressed her behind-the-scenes involvement in the dispute between Owens and Erika Kirk.
She revealed that Kirk had contacted her weeks earlier requesting assistance with arranging a potential meeting between the two parties.
The discussion between Kirk and Owens was initially considered as a possible public event. Kelly said she agreed to help facilitate after confirming Owens approved of her participation.
“And the two of them took it from there, trying to negotiate the specifics of what they’d both be comfortable with, where, when, etc. And eventually it changed after they hit some roadblocks,” Kelly explained.
Kelly emphasized that Kirk and Owens conducted their own negotiations regarding format, timing and location before discussions stalled.
She said she maintained public silence on their dispute while working privately to bring them together.
WATCH:
Kelly rejected the theories Owens promoted about Turning Point USA’s connection to an assassination. However, she maintained it was not her responsibility to publicly condemn Owens for those statements.
