Article from Esquire
If Kayla, a self-described “evangelical millennial,” feels familiar, it’s because the inspiration for her comes from actual accounts.
In the growing list of Academy Award contenders, Bombshell is one film that has been buzzing for a long time. Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, the film chronicles the sexual misconduct allegations and subsequent downfall of Fox News CEO, Roger Ailes. Megyn Kelly (Theron) acts as the primary narrator of the film that kicks off with Gretchen Carlson’s (Kidman) initial allegations against Ailes. And while the film notes that there are a lot of similarities between Bombshell and real life, certain parts of the film were fabricated, including one of its lead characters.
While Kelly and Carlson’s characters are recognizable from the jump, Kayla Pospisil (Robbie) is a creation that initially feels so authentically Fox News that it seems like she must exist in real life. But in reality, there is no singular person that the Pospisil character is based on. Instead, the character is inspired by 20 real-life accounts.
Who is Kayla Pospisil?
Within the fiction of Bombshell, Pospisil is an associate producer who moves from Gretchen Carlson’s program to The O’Reilly Factor. Self-described as a “evangelical millennial,” she explains that she comes from a family that is fully entrenched in the world of Fox News to the point that they “watch it every Thanksgiving.” She also begins a sexual relationship with another woman (Kate McKinnon) on O’Reilly’s staff. Upon moving to the crew of Bill O’Reilly’s team, she sets her sights on currying favor with Fox News CEO, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) in hopes of getting a spot on-air.
After gaining a meeting with Ailes, Pospisil is sexually harassed and asked to pull her dress up beyond her waist. Later in the film, it’s revealed that she was asked to give sexual favors to Ailes. She is one of the final whistleblowers to come forward before Ailes is brought down.
Who is she based on?
The short answer is no one person.
The long answer is that Kayla Pospisil is a composite based on a few different accounts from actual people with connections to Fox News. Obviously, the blonde hair and characterization lends the character to an obvious comparison to internet-star-turned-conservative pundit, Tomi Lahren. Pospisil also mentions how she can prove her brand of “Christian millennial” is profitable by the millions of Instagram followers she has.
But in terms of the sexual assault case that drives Pospisil’s arc forward, the character was created after filmmakers interviewed a number of Fox News staffers who were bound by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). While not allowed to speak on the record about their experience, women instead shared information anonymously, allowing filmmakers the ability to create a character out of their shared experiences. In short, Kayla Pospisil isn’t based on a singular woman, but rather the accounts of several sexual assault victims.
What about the NDAs?
That is ultimately unclear. The 20 women or so who spoke to the filmmakers via anonymity did break their NDAs, but the filmmakers and those involved in the film have also agreed to protect their sources. Carlson and Kelly both deny having involvement with the film, though Carlson has started a campaign about the necessity of throwing out NDAs in relation to cases of sexual assault and harassment.
Former Fox contributor Tamara Holder told The Hollywood Reporter that she signed an agreement that comes with a penalty of $500,000 if she breaks her NDA, though it’s unclear if Fox would follow through on that consequence. A small handful of women who do have their names attached to the project may have violated their NDAs, but as of now, there has been no retaliation taken against them, according to THR. New York and California have also moved to prohibit NDAs in cases of sexual assault.
