“Sometimes keeping your own counsel is the right thing to do, as long as you’re not being pressured to jump on the boss’s bandwagon and be rah-rah,” said a longtime friend of Kelly’s who asked not to be named. “Just go about your work, maintain your equilibrium, and be quiet. Megyn is the most visible star on the network, so keeping her head down is probably just fine.”

On the other hand, Kelly’s apparent disinclination to pledge allegiance to her boss and mentor—who has given her one plum assignment after another, and repeatedly defended her against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s nasty broadsides after the infamous Aug. 6 Fox News debate—might not go over well with executives in an industry where loyalty is a rare but prized commodity.

“No one’s expecting her to come out and defend him like some of these other people have,” said a television industry insider who is not involved in the controversy, “but just some sign of appreciation for the man who gave her the opportunity would suggest that she’s not just out for herself.”