Megyn Kelly Draws Backlash for Epstein Victim Age Remarks

Megyn Kelly, a prominent conservative media host, sparked widespread backlash on Wednesday after suggesting on her podcast that Jeffrey Epstein did not qualify as a pedophile because his alleged victims were teenagers rather than younger children. During the November 12 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly relayed information from an unidentified source described as close to the Epstein case, who claimed Epstein targeted "the barely legal type," specifically 15-year-old girls.

Kelly quoted the source as saying Epstein "was not a pedophile" but preferred "very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were," while wanting them to appear legal to observers. "I realize this is disgusting. I'm definitely not trying to make an excuse for this. I'm just giving you facts," Kelly said, emphasizing that Epstein was not attracted to children as young as 8-year-olds. She acknowledged the severity of his actions, adding, "There's a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know?" but maintained that no victims under 14 had publicly come forward in the case.

The remarks came amid renewed attention to Epstein's criminal history. The financier was convicted in...