Showing support. Megyn Kelly broke her silence to congratulate her pal, political pundit Guy Benson, amid his engagement to boyfriend Adam Wise.
Benson, 34, revealed he was gay during an appearance on Kelly’s former Fox News Channel show, The Kelly File, in 2015. She reflected on the emotional moment when sharing her excitement amid Pride Month for his upcoming wedding.
“Guy handled the challenge of coming out publicly with grace and dignity, and I was honored to be any small part of it,” the news personality, 48, said in an exclusive statement to Us Weekly. “What’s extraordinary about Guy goes well beyond his personal life, however — his quick wit, intelligence and willingness to fight for his ideals are what have made him a rising star.”
Kelly, who formerly hosted NBC talk show Megyn Kelly Today, added: “I’m thrilled about his upcoming nuptials and wish him and Adam incredible happiness.”
During Benson’s appearance on The Kelly File, he shared why he decided to reference his sexuality for the first time within a footnote of his 2015 book, End of Discussion.
“I hadn’t disclosed that publicly before, and the reason that we decided to make the disclosure in the book is because [co-author] Mary Katherine [Ham] and I go through a nearly 10,000-word chapter, really dig our teeth into the issue of gay rights and religious liberties and sort of the silencing that goes on in a number of these debates,” Benson said at the time. “I felt like I owed it to readers to give them that piece of information.”
Benson then said he felt the inclusion of his sexual identification fit in with what was being discussed in the book, adding: “I thought it was relevant context, and I wanted to make sure that they could have that at their disposal, and then sort of, make their decisions based on that moving forward. So, I thought it was the right thing to do.”
After sharing his truth, Kelly supported her friend by telling him that what he did was “very brave.”
“It’s hard to come on national television and reveal anything about your sexuality,” she said. “And you’re right — it is none of our business and I understand the context in which you offered it. And you are in a safe place here.”
The Townhall.com political editor recently opened up about how he addressed his sexuality so publicly on Kelly’s former show four years ago. He said the moment was the “most nervous” he had ever been during a television appearance.
“I’ve never regretted my decision to tell this truth,” he wrote via Instagram in May. “Perhaps one day I’ll share the backstory of how this interview came to pass, but for now, I’ll just say that I’m forever grateful to Megyn Kelly & a number of others.”
Benson, who is also a regular Fox News contributor, got engaged to Wise in Versailles, France, in 2018.
Kelly has kept a low-profile since the cancellation of Megyn Kelly Today, which was pulled by NBC in October 2018 after she made a controversial remark on the show about wearing blackface on Halloween. However, she has remained active on Twitter, where she often shares her thoughts on trending news topics.
