Megyn Kelly has lashed out at Olivia Rodrigo after the singer publicly backed the woman at the centre of the controversial Cornell University sexual assault case.
Kelly criticised the 23-year-old pop star on The Megyn Kelly Show after Rodrigo condemned Cornell and declared her support for the woman known as Jane Doe in court documents. 'Olivia, you don't know what the f*** you're talking about!' Kelly said. 'Shut up and stick to singing!'
Kelly Takes Aim at Rodrigo's Music and Cornell Comments
The broadcaster then took aim at Rodrigo's music, saying she preferred the singer when she was 'in front of a microphone singing your weird little depressing songs.'
Kelly added: 'It's better to keep your mouth shut and let people suspect you're an idiot than to open it and prove them right.'
'Be quiet. Go away. See you at your concert. Got it?' she continued.
Olivia Rodrigo speaks out in support of the Cornell victim:
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) October 4, 2026
“Shame on Cornell and on every Institution who protects rapists and abusers over women. I stand with Jane Doe. Her bravery reverberates across the country and the crimes against her will not go unpunished […] She… pic.twitter.com/zkKOB3UTH0
Kelly's comments came after Rodrigo used her Instagram Stories to speak out about the Cornell case on Sunday, 4 October.
'Shame on Cornell and on every institution who protects rapists and abusers over women,' Rodrigo wrote. 'I stand with Jane Doe,' she continued, adding that Doe's 'bravery reverberates across the country' and that she 'deserves answers, consequences, and lasting change.'
What Happened at Cornell?
The singer's comments put her firmly on the side of the woman who alleges seven former members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted her at a fraternity house in October 2024.
Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time, alleges in a civil lawsuit filed in September that she was pressured to consume ketamine and alcohol before being sexually assaulted by multiple men.
The seven men named in the lawsuit have not been criminally charged, and the allegations against them have not been proven in court. The men have denied wrongdoing.
The New York Times reveals how Cornell had punished the seven men involved in the 2024 gang rape a year later:
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) October 4, 2026
Ingalls and Newell were expelled; Lee suspended for two years, with disciplinary probation for several semesters, while Lopes suspended for three years and two years… pic.twitter.com/MUVA1hiLi9
The case has nevertheless triggered renewed scrutiny of Cornell and the way the allegations were initially handled. The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office initially declined to bring criminal charges.
The investigation was later reopened, before New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to take over the case. James has said her office will conduct a thorough investigation and pursue prosecution if warranted.
Cornell has also agreed to an independent review of its handling of the allegations, with former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates appointed to lead the examination.
Kelly Questions Celebrity Involvement
Meanwhile, newly surfaced records from Cornell's internal Title IX investigation have provided additional details about the university's response to the allegations. The disciplinary process resulted in two expulsions, two suspensions and other sanctions, although the criminal case remains unresolved.
Kelly has been highly critical of the public reaction to the case and has argued that the accused men deserve due process.
Megyn Kelly attacks victim of Cornell gang rape:
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) October 4, 2026
"If you were violently gang raped repeatedly over the course of an evening, do you think it would take you three weeks to call campus police?... The delay, the chatting with the friends, and the decision to go to campus police…
During her discussion of Rodrigo's statement, she questioned why celebrities were weighing in on a case involving allegations they did not personally witness.
Kelly has also criticised other public figures who have spoken about the Cornell allegations, arguing that public commentary risks treating accusations as established facts before the criminal investigation has concluded.
Rodrigo, meanwhile, has not publicly responded to Kelly's attack. Her original statement has continued to draw attention as the investigation into the allegations moves forward.
