>>> MORNING, EVERYONE.
GOOD MORNING ON THIS GORGEOUS DAY HERE IN NEW YORK ANDGEOUS
DAY HERE IN NEW YORK AND WELCOME.
WELCOME. IM MEGYN KELLY.
AND WE BEGIN THIS MORNING WITH
MONEY AND ONE WOMANS
UNAPOLOGETIC QUEST TO GET LOTS
OF IT.
IN A NOW-VIRAL OP-ED PENNED OVER THE WEEKEND, BEST SELLING AUTHOR
JESSICA KNOLL SAYS SHE WANTS TO
BE RICH AND SHES NOT SORRY.
WHY IS THIS CONTROVERSIAL?
BECAUSE SHES A WOMAN APPARENTLY
AND SHES NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY OR
FEEL THAT.
FEEL THAT.
THAT IS WHAT SOME STILL BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY.E STILL BELIEVE
IN THIS COUNTRY. HER 2015 DEBUT NOVEL "LUCKIEST
GIRL ALIVE" YOU GUYS READ THIS?
IT BECAME AN INSTANT BEST
SELLER.
SELLER.
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
IT IS ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS TRYING TO RE-INVENT HERSELF
AFTER A GANG RAPE, AND THEN THE
RELENTLESS BULLYING THAT
FOLLOWED.
FOLLOWED.
AT THE TIME OF THE BOOKS RELEASE -- THIS IS A NOVEL --
KNOLL INSISTED OVER AND OVER THE
BOOK WAS PURE FICTION BUT LATER
WE LEARNED THE TRUTH.
WELL SPEAK WITH JESSICA IN A
MINUTE BUT FIRST SOME BACKGROUND
ON HER STORY.
>> I HAVE JUST FIELDED SO MANY
QUESTIONS, MOSTLY ABOUT WOMEN,
WHO HAVE ASKED ME, HOW DID YOU
WRITE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SO
REALISTICALLY.
REALISTICALLY.
>> Reporter: READERS WERE CAPTIVATED BY "THE LUCKIEST GIRL
ALIVE" IF HADN AWE OF HOW THE
FIRST-TIME WRITER CAPTURED IT.
>> TO SEE THE LOOK ON WOMENS
FACES, OH, NO, I JUST MADE IT
UP.
UP.
THEY WOULD JUST HAVE THIS LOOK OF JUST SUCH DISAPPOINTMENT,OK
OF JUST SUCH DISAPPOINTMENT, LIKE, OH, OKAY, I GUESS THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE DONT TALK
ABOUT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE
SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF AND I JUST
NEVER WANT TO SEE THAT LOOK ON
ANYONES FACE AGAIN.
>> Reporter: WHICH IS WHY AFTER
NEARLY A YEAR AFTER THE BOOK WAS
RELEASED SHE FINALLY TOLD THE
TRUTH, REVEALING THAT WHAT MANY
THOUGHT WAS FICTION WAS IN FACT
BASED ON HER OWN STORY.
>> I WISH I COULD GO BACK IN
TIME AND SHOW MY 15-YEAR-OLD
SELF A FLASH OF THE FUTURE.
I JUST THINK SHE WOULD HAVE HELD
ON TO THAT WITH ALL HER MIGHT
AND IT WOULD HAVE HELPED HER
THROUGH.
THROUGH.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS SHE WAS GANG RAPED AT 15 AND RERENTLESS
RELENTLESSLY TAUNTED BY BULLIES.
>> I REMEMBER LOOKING BACK ON
THAT YEAR AND I JUST FELT
COMPLETELY RAW, LIKE AN EXPOSED
NERVE.
NERVE.
IF YOU JUST TOUCHED ME, I
SHRIVELLED UP IN PAIN. >> Reporter: THE BOOK WAS
OPTIONED BY LIONS GATE.
NOW KNOLL HAS A NEW NOVEL, WITH
AN OP-ED IN THE "NEW YORK
TIMES," "I WANT TO BE RICH AND
IM NOT SORRY."
IN IT SHE IS UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT
HER DESIRE TO BE WEALTHY DESPITE
CONFLICTING MESSAGES FROM MEN
AND WOMEN WHEN IT COMES TO
MAKING MONEY.
MAKING MONEY.
SAYING IF ANYONE CALLS THAT
OBNOXIOUS, I WANT TO DO WHAT MEN DO AND SHRUG.WANT TO DO WHAT MEN
DO AND SHRUG. JESSICA KNOLL, WELCOME TO YOU.
I LOVE THE OP-ED.
I THOUGHT IT WAS AMAZING.
I THINK IT IS SAD THAT ITS
CONTROVERSIAL FOR A WOMAN TO
STAND UP AND SAY THAT IN 2018
AMERICA.
AMERICA. YOU SAY IN THE OP-ED, RICH IS
STILL A MANS WORD.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> I THINK ITS -- WELL, FIRST
OF ALL, AFTER WATCHING THAT
PACKAGE, IM EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL
ALL OVER AGAIN.
YES.
YES.
I DO SAY IN THE ESSAY THAT RICH
IS STILL A MANS WORD BECAUSE IT
FEELS LIKE MEN ARE ALLOWED TO
SEEK WEALTH AND TO SEEK POWER IN A WAY THAT WOMEN ARE NOT.OWER IN
A WAY THAT WOMEN ARE NOT. AND THESE ARE AMBITIONS IVE HAD
FOR MYSELF FOR A LONG TIME AND
THEY WERE DEFINITELY COMPOUNDED
BY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IF HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
BUT I ALWAYS FELT I COULDNT SAY
THEM OUTLOUD. SO I --TLOUD.
SO I -- >> YOU WERE TAUGHT THAT.
>> I WAS TAUGHT THAT.
>> BY SOCIETY.
>> AND I WAS ALSO TAUGHT TO BE
VERY ACCOMMODATING OF OTHER
PEOPLES EXPECTATIONS OF ME.
I MEAN SO MANY TIMES OVER THE
YEARS THE ASSUMPTION WAS JUST,
YOULL GET MARRIED, YOULL HAVE
KIDS AND MAYBE YOULL CONTINUE
TO WORK.
TO WORK.
I WOULD JUST LET THAT PASS EVEN THOUGH IN MY HEAD I WAS LIKE, I
WANT -- I HAVE A DIFFERENT
VISION FOR MY LIFE.
AND I NEVER FELT COMFORTABLE
CORRECTING ANYBODY.
CORRECTING ANYBODY. >> CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE TRAUMA?
BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY FANS
WHO READ THAT BOOK AND LOVED IT.
THATS WHY IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL.
AND THE DEDICATION, THE MAIN
CHARACTER IN THE BOOK IS NAMED
TIFFANY AND THE DEDICATION AT
THE BEGINNING IS TO ALL THE
TIFFANIES OF THE WORLD I KNOW.
SO ALL THESE WOMEN STARTED
COMING UP TO YOU SAYING, DID
THIS HAPPEN TO YOU, IS THIS A
MEMOIR?
MEMOIR?
IS THIS BASED ON YOUR LIFE
STORY?
AND YOU WOULD NOT ADMIT IT UNTIL
YOU FINALLY CAME OUT IN A LENNY LETTER.ALLY CAME OUT IN A LENNY
LETTER. LENA DUNHAM HAS THIS SIGHT WHERE
WOMEN WRITE THESE LENNY LETTERS
TALKING ABOUT WHATS HAPPENED IN
THEIR LIVES.
THEIR LIVES.
YOU WROTE IVE BEEN RUNNING AND
IVE BEEN DUCKING AND IVE BEEN
DODGING BECAUSE IM SCARED.
IM SCARED PEOPLE WONT CALL
WHAT HAPPENED TO ME RAPE BECAUSE
FOR A LONG TIME NO ONE DID.
SO WHAT GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO FINALLY COME OUT AND TELL THETO
FINALLY COME OUT AND TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FACT THAT
TIFFANYS STORY WAS BASED ON
YOUR OWN?
YOUR OWN? >> IT WAS THE WOMEN I MET AT MY
EVENTS WHO WOULD COME UP TO ME
WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES, SAYING
DID THAT HAPPEN TO YOU?
THAT HAPPENED TO ME.
AND I WOULD ALWAYS SHY AWAY FROM
SAYING YES.
SAYING YES.
AND I WOULD SEE THIS KIND OF HEARTBREAK IN THEIR EYES. OF
HEARTBREAK IN THEIR EYES. THEY WERE LOOKING TO CONNECT.
THEY WERE LOOKING TO SHARE THEIR
STORY.
STORY.
BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY OF US AND SO MANY OF US,SO
MANY OF US AND SO MANY OF US, ITS DOUBLE TRAUMA BECAUSE YOU
HAVE TO REMAIN SILENT ABOUT IT
OR YOU ARE SILENCED ABOUT IT,
WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.
AND IT JUST NEVER OCCURRED TO ME
TO BE HONEST ABOUT IT BECAUSE I
HADNT BEEN FOR SO LONG.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR
THAT "LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE" CAME
OUT I STARTED THINKING THESE
WOMEN HAVE BEEN SO BRAVE TO COME
FORWARD AND TELL ME THEIR
STORIES, I OWE IT TO THEM TO DO
THE SAME.
THE SAME.
>> DID YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEAD,
AFTER YOU HAD WRITTEN THE BOOK,
IT IS A HUGE SUCCESS, TO TALK ABOUT IT.UGE SUCCESS, TO TALK
ABOUT IT. YOU WERE SLUT SHAMED LIKE WERE
YOU A WILLING PARTICIPANT.
DID THEY CONVINCE YOU OF THAT?
>> NO, I ALWAYS KNEW IN MY HAR
WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED.
AND I DID. I SAY THIS IN THE LENNY ESSAY, I
DID CONFRONT MY RAPIST AND I
CALLED HIM A RAPIST.
AND THE NEXT DAY HE WAS NEARLY
IN TEARS ABOUT IT.
SO I APOLOGIZED TO HIM AND I
TOOK IT BACK.
AND THATS HOW DEEPLY ENGRAINED IT IS IN US AS WOMEN TO PUTNED
IT IS IN US AS WOMEN TO PUT OTHER PEOPLES FEELINGS ABOVE
OUR OWN.
OUR OWN.
>> YOU WRITE ABOUT THAT IN A LENNY LETTER AS ONE OF THE LINES
THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME.
YOU SAID I DID CALL IT RAPE --
ONCE -- IN A DRUNKEN
CONVERSATION WITH A BOY, WHICH
IS HOW SHE REFERS TO THE MAIN
BOY IN THAT TRIO.
THE NEXT DAY I CALLED AND
APOLOGIZED.
APOLOGIZED.
I APOLOGIZED TO MY RAPIST FOR CALLING HIM A RAPIST.PIST FOR
CALLING HIM A RAPIST. WHAT A THING TO LIVE WITH.
DID YOU EVER HAVE ANOTHER
CONVERSATION WITH HIM, LIKE
SINCE YOU SORT OF HAVE COME OUT
AND OWNED THIS?
>> NO.
>> NO. NO.
NO.
AND I DONT WANT TO.
I DONT NEED TO. I DONT OWE THOSE BOYS ANYTHING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. BUT TO YOUR CREDIT, YOU MANAGED
TO TAKE THIS TRAUMA WHICH WOUND
UP DEFINING YOUR LIFE IN MANY
WAYS AND USE IT.
IT DAMAGED YOU, AND IT MADE YOU
SORT OF PURSUE CERTAIN AVENUES
THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE OTHERWISE
PURSUED.
PURSUED.
BUT IN THE END, THIS OP-ED -- I SEE IT AS ALMOST TRIUMPHANT, YOU
SAYING IVE COME IN OOH MY OWN,
I AM AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN, I HAVE
A DESIRE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, TO
MAKE MONEY, TO BE THE NUMBER ONE
AUTHOR, AND TO ME IT IS LIKE
BREAKING FREE OF THESE CHAINS
THAT WERE AROUND YOU.
YOU TELL ME HOW IT MAKES YOU
FEEL.
FEEL.
>> YEAH. I WAS ALWAYS AMBITIOUS.
ITS JUST IN MY MAKE-UP.
AND MY PARENTS HAVE A REALLY
STRONG WORK ETHIC AND THEY
TAUGHT THAT TO ME AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED
TO ME COMPOUNDED THAT AMBITION
THAT WAS ALREADY THERE.
IT REALLY MADE ME -- I FELT I
HAD NO AGENCY IN MY LIFE, AND SO
IT BECAME VERY IMPORTANT TO ME
TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON MY OWN
TWO FEET.
TWO FEET. I SAY IN THE ESSAY, I WANT TO
MAKE THE KIND OF MONEY THAT
ALLOWS ME TO AFFORD A SHARK THE
LAWYER IF ANY MAN EVER TRIES TO
LAY A FINGER ON ME AGAIN.
THATS ALL I COULD HAVE WANTED
WHEN I WAS 15.
IF I COULD HAVE HAD THE MONEY
AND THE POWER TO HIRE PEOPLE TO
PROTECT ME, IT WOULD HAVE GONE A
LONG WAY IN TERMS OF HELPING ME
HELP AT A YOUNGER AGE.
>> OF COURSE, THE TRUTH IS YOU
CAN ABSOLUTELY WANT A LOT OF
MONEY BECAUSE YOU WANT O HAVE A
NICE HOME, YOU WANT TO TAKE A
NICE VACATION.
NICE VACATION.
AND YOU DONT HAVE TO APOLOGIZE
FOR THAT.
THATS PART OF THE AMERICAN
DREAM.
RIGHT?
I KNOW YOURE SAYING YOURE
WRITING THIS, YOURE PUTTING IT
IN WRITING WHICH FOR SOME REASON
IS STILL REVOLUTIONARY IN THIS
COUNTRY FOR A WOMAN, IN PART
BECAUSE OF THE GEENA DAVIS MEDIA CENTER AND WHAT THEY SAY.S MEDIA
CENTER AND WHAT THEY SAY. >> THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK.
THEYRE DEDICATED TO INCREASING
FEMALE REPRESENTATION ON SCREEN,
TO INCREASING REPRESENTATION OF
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
THEY HAVE THIS MOTTO, IF SHE CAN
SEE IT, SHE CAN BE IT.
.
.
THATS WHY I SAID IT. BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE
JUST HAVE TO SAY IT.
WERE WALKING AROUND CARRYING
THIS INSIDE OF US.
AND YOU ARE LOOKING TO CONNECT
TO OTHER LIKE-MINDED WOMEN.
THE ESSAY IS HELP ME -- ONCE
AGAIN, THE WAY THE LENNY ESSAY
DID, IT CONNECTED ME TO SO MANY
WOMEN WHO SHARED MY SEERNS.
THIS
THIS
EXPERIENCE. THIS "NEW YORK TIMES" ESSAY HAS
ALSO CONNECTED ME TO WOMEN WHO
SAY, YES, THANK YOU FOR FINALLY
BEING THE ONE TO SAY IT.
>> BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH
PRESSURE STILL TO BE A DIFFERENT
WAY, TO BE THE NURTURER WHOSE
AMBITION, IF IT EXISTS, TAKES
SECOND SEAT TO THAT OF HER
HUSBAND OR THAT OF HER MAN.
YOU WRITE ABOUT THE CONFLICTING
MESSAGES OF MILLENNIAL
WOMANHOOD.
WOMANHOOD.
YOU MUST BE AMBITIOUS BUT NOT
BOSSY, STRONG BUT SKINNY.
HONEST BUT POLITE. SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR FELLOW
SISTERS SUCCESS, WHILE A
CULTURE ENCOURAGES AND LOVES
GIRL FIGHTS.
GIRL FIGHTS. I MEAN WERE STILL BATTLING
THROUGH ALL OF THIS BECAUSE WE
HAVENT YET EMOERNLGERGED ON THE
SIDE OF THE 1950s WOMAN WHO WAS
ONLY EXPECTED TO DO ONE THING.
THEN THE 1970s VERSION, BURNING
THE BRAS AND THE MIDDLE FINGER
UP.
UP.
THE DOUBLE BARRELS UP. WE SORT OF MADE SOME STRIDES.
THEN WE GOT STUCK IN THIS PLACE
FOR SO LONG, WE ARE EXPECTED TO
DO EVERYTHING AND BE THING.
I FEEL LIKE YOUR LETTER MAY --
OR MAY NOT.
YOU DONT HAVE KIDS.
YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
YOU ARE GOING FOR THE MONEY AND
FOR THE RICHES AND FOR THE
SUCCESS.
SUCCESS.
YOU INSISTED IS ON WRITING YOUR
OWN SCREEN PLAY WITH THE REESE
WITHERSPOON PROJECT.
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP FOR
MILLENNIAL WOMEN LIKE YOU? >> I THINK THERES ALL DIFFERENT
KINDS OF SUCCESS AND AMBITION.
THIS IS JUST MINE PERSONALLY AND
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OTHER WOMEN
SHARE IT.
SHARE IT. YOU BROUGHT UP WEVE COME A LONG
WAY FROM THE 1950s.
AND IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE
BACK THEN, REALLY THE ONLY WOMEN
WHO HAD ANY MEASURE OF POWER OR
MONEY WERE THE WOMEN OF
HOLLYWOOD.
HOLLYWOOD.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE TABLOIDS REACTED TO THAT, WHICH
WAS TO PIT THEM AGAINST EACH
OTHER, STARTING FAMOUSLY WITH
THE JOAN CRAWFORD AND BETTE
DAVIS FEUD.
DAVIS FEUD.
>> WOMEN CAN DO IT TO OTHER
WOMEN.
>> BUT NOT BECAUSE WE ARE
INHERENTLY LIKE THAT.
I DO BELIEVE IT IS A CULTURE
THAT RAISES US TO BE LIKE THAT
SO I AM ALWAYS RESPONDING TO
THOSE SORTS OF CULTURAL
PRESSURES AND EXPECTATIONS AND CONFLICTS IN MY FICTION AND IN
THE CHARACTERS I CREATE TO
HOPEFULLY GET PEOPLE THINKING IN
A DIFFERENT WAY.
>> BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK
OUT CALLED --
>> I DO.
"THE FAVORITE SISTER." >> THAT ONES GOT FEMALE
VILLAINS AND FEMALE HEROINS AND
IS, AGAIN, GOING TO BE A BEST
SELLER.
SELLER.
YOURE GOING TO SEE IT
EVERYWHERE ON THE BEACHES THIS SUMMER.ERE ON THE BEACHES THIS
SUMMER.
COMES OUT MAY 15th. YOU CAN PREORDER IT NOW.
BUT CONGRATS ON ALL YOUR AMAZING
SUCCESS.
SUCCESS.
THE FIRST BOOK IN 38 COUNTRIES.
THIS ONE IS PROBABLY GOING TO
BEAT THAT.
>> LETS HOPE.
>> DO WE HAVE MORE THAN 38
COUNTRIES THAT BUY AMERICAN
BOOKS?
WELL SEE.
CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESS.
I, TOO, HOPE YOU ARE WEALTHY
BEYOND MEASURE IN ALL AREAS OF