Former child actresses, as well as teenage girls around the country, have posted photos of themselves at 15 years old after journalist Megyn Kelly seemed to downplay the youth of Jeffrey Epstein's victims on her podcast.
In a discussion with NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon on "The Megyn Kelly Show" on Nov. 12, Kelly stated that she knows "somebody very close to this case" who "told me from the start [...] that Jeffrey Epstein, in this person's view, was not a pedophile."
"He was into the barely legal type, like, he liked 15-year-old girls," Kelly continued. "I'm not trying to make an excuse for this, I'm just giving you facts — that he wasn't into, like, 8-year-olds. But he liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they were, but would look legal to a passer-by."
The age of consent in the United States ranges from 16 to 18 years old, depending on the state. It is not legal for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a girl below 16 years old in any U.S. state.
NPR has reached out to Megyn Kelly for comment. NPR will update this story if we receive a response from Kelly.
Women and girls react to Kelly online
Many on social media were prompted to insist that 15 year olds are children.
Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon weighed in on Instagram: "Megyn Kelly, I have a question for you, from one mother to another," she said. "If Jeffrey Epstein were still alive, would you be comfortable with your teenage daughter being alone with him in his mansion? [...] And please, don't say 15 is barely legal. It is 100% illegal, and you know that."
She was joined by celebrities who were former child actors, like Christina Ricci.
On her Instagram story, Ricci posted, "This woman is a danger to children." That Instagram story has since expired and is no longer online.
Valerie Bertinelli, who starred in the sitcom One Day at a Time, shared a picture of herself at 15, with the caption: "This picture was taken in 1975. I'm 15. I'm a child. I'm gonna say this a little louder for those in the back row. I'm FIFTEEN. I'M A CHILD."
She ended with a call to action, encouraging others to "flood the Internet with pictures of all of us at 15."
The Hollywood actresses were joined by actual teenagers, including a girl who posted a TikTok video from an account called @cheeringforchange and said her name is Eloise and that she is 14 years old. She said she wanted to respond to Kelly's comments with a "reality check from a literal child."
"The minute adults start defending predators by debating the age of a child, you're not protecting the truth. You're protecting the predator. And you shouldn't need a freshman to tell you that."
Survivors advocating for the release of the Epstein files
Some of Epstein's survivors who are now adults but say they were 17 or younger when they were abused have taken leading roles in pressuring both President Trump and Congress to release the full Department of Justice files on Epstein.
On Tuesday, eight of them posted a "national PSA," which called for the release of all of the Epstein files. This was done in partnership with World Without Exploitation, a national coalition of organizations working to end human trafficking. After showing photos of the women at ages 14 to 17, the video ends with a call for justice: "It's time to bring the secrets out of the shadows. It's time to shine a light into the darkness."
On World Without Exploitation's website, it urges Americans to call on members of Congress to vote for the Epstein Files Transparency Act:
"By mandating the release of these files—while safeguarding the privacy of survivors—the legislation seeks to shed light on the enablers, co-conspirators, and institutional protections that allowed Epstein's operation to flourish. It aims to close loopholes that obstruct justice and ensure that no one, regardless of wealth or power, is above the law."
The response to Kelly's comments preceded the nearly unanimous vote in the House of Representatives to publicly release the full slate of the Department of Justice files on Epstein's child sex trafficking.
The President, in a reversal of position, had previously stated he would sign it if it passed the House and Senate.
Jennifer Vanasco edited this story.
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