Megyn Kelly Comments on Cornell Accuser’s Looks While Questioning Sexual Assault Allegation

Megyn Kelly commented on the looks of the woman at the center of the Cornell University sexual assault case during the October 5, 2026, edition of The Megyn Kelly Show. Kelly called the accuser “not the most attractive gal” and described her body while arguing that she might have welcomed attention from men at a fraternity house. That account was Kelly’s speculation, not an established finding about the woman or what happened.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court papers, alleges that seven former students sexually assaulted her at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, in October 2024. Her civil lawsuit, filed in September 2026, names the former students, the university and fraternity organizations. The allegations are disputed, and the renewed criminal investigation has not established anyone’s guilt.

What did Megyn Kelly say about the Cornell accuser?

Kelly raised the woman’s appearance while questioning whether the sexual encounter could have been consensual. She suggested the woman might have enjoyed feeling desired and said that, in her opinion, this could explain her actions that night. She also questioned why the woman should be regarded as a victim before the allegations are resolved.

Her remarks combined an argument about the evidence with conjecture about the accuser’s self-image and motives. A person’s appearance does not establish whether they consented to sexual activity. Kelly did not present evidence that her assessment of the woman’s feelings was correct.

Kelly has repeatedly argued that the accused men deserve due process and that the public should not treat allegations in a lawsuit as proof of a crime. Those concerns are separate from her comments about the woman’s looks.

What is happening in the Cornell case?

Jane Doe says she was assaulted after consuming alcohol and drugs at the fraternity house. The former students have not been convicted of a crime. Accounts of the night, including questions about consent and the number of men involved in the alleged assaults, remain contested.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to bring criminal charges after the woman reported the incident in 2024. Following the filing of her lawsuit, he announced on September 28, 2026, that the case would be reexamined. He said her earlier statement to campus police differed from allegations in the lawsuit; her attorney has challenged his characterization of that statement.

On October 1, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office as special prosecutor to investigate the alleged assault. The attorney general’s office said its inquiry would be guided by the facts and the law. The appointment means the investigation is active; it does not mean charges have been filed or that the lawsuit’s claims have been proven.

Cornell has said it investigated the allegations through its own disciplinary process and imposed sanctions that included suspensions and expulsions. University discipline and a criminal prosecution are different processes, with different purposes and standards. The woman’s civil claims also remain distinct from any decision prosecutors may make.

Kelly’s October 5 comments drew attention because they focused on an accuser’s appearance while a serious, unresolved allegation was under renewed investigation. The central question in the case is what the evidence establishes about the events at the fraternity house—not how either side describes the woman’s looks.