Megyn Kelly is leaving Fox News after 12 years.
Megyn Kelly has a high profile new gig.
The longtime Fox News journalist is leaving the network to take on a new role at NBC News, ET can confirm. As part of the multi-year agreement, Kelly will host her own daytime news program, anchor a Sunday evening news show and take part in special political programming and other breaking news coverage.
Kelly said she will miss her colleagues at Fox in a statement on Facebook.
"Over a dozen years ago I started at Fox News in a job that would change my life," she wrote. "Now, I have decided to end my time at FNC, incredibly enriched for the experiences I've had. ... While I will greatly miss my colleagues at Fox, I am delighted to be joining the NBC News family and taking on a new challenge. I remain deeply grateful to Fox News, to Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch, and especially to all of the FNC viewers, who have taught me so much about what really matters."
Andrew Lack, Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, also sent out a statement confirming the big news.
"Megyn is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career," Lack said. "She's demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we're lucky to have her."
Meanwhile, Fox News chairman Rupert Murdoch wished Kelly the best.
"We thank Megyn Kelly for her 12 years of contributions to FOX News," Murdoch said in a statement. "We hope she enjoys tremendous success in her career and wish her and her family all the best."
A source at Fox News tells ET that Kelly's move is actually not much of a surprise. "During her book tour [for Settle for More], she dropped many hints that she wants to spend more time with her kids [Yardley, Edward and Thatcher]," the source says. "She dropped hints that she wants to do more specials and be home more with her children after school."
"Everyone here is happy for her," the source adds. "It's an incredible move."
Another Fox News source echoes that the move was primarily done because Kelly wanted to spend more time with her family, as opposed to a salary increase.
"Everyone is, and was, putting so much emphasis on the money aspect and how no other network would give her $20 million. But no one was listening to what she was hitting at the entire time -- which was that she wanted a schedule that would give her more time with her kids and allow her time to focus on specials," the source says. "It's more important for Megyn to see her kids off to school and be home for dinner with her husband -- who has done a great job of being Mr. Mom for most of 2016, something she credits him for often."
Kelly, 46, is the second most-watched host on Fox News after Bill O’Reilly. But her 12 years at Fox News hasn't been without controversy. In August 2015, Kelly found herself at the center of the primary election after Donald Trump, then a Republican presidential hopeful, unleashed a series of verbal attacks against her after she moderated the first GOP debate.
In December, she defended herself after receiving backlash for wearing a spaghetti-strap dress while reporting at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
"I can be smart and challenging while I wear spaghetti straps, and everyone is just going to have to get their heads around that," she told the New York Times.
Kelly's departure from Fox News is just the latest shakeup at the network. Former Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes resigned in July after former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson left the network after 11 years and filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him. Kelly also accused Ailes of repeatedly sexually harassing her in her memoir, Settle for More. Ailes has denied all claims.
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-- Additional reporting by Jennifer Peros