Geraldo Rivera#War coverage controversies

Rivera was born at Beth Israel Medical Center on July 4, 1943, in New York City, the son of Lillian (née Friedman; 1924–2018) and Cruz "Allen" Rivera (1915–1987), a restaurant worker and taxicab driver respectively.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/WaterCooler/story?id=4339477&page=1 |title=Excerpt: 'His Panic'|work= ABC News |date=February 26, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2010}} He is of Galician ancestry through his father, who was from Puerto Rico. His mother was Ashkenazi Jewish, while his father was Roman Catholic. Rivera was raised "mostly Jewish" and had a bar mitzvah ceremony.{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Gerri |url=http://www.interfaithfamily.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ekLSK5MLIrG&b=297403&ct=415783 |title=InterfaithFamily |website=InterfaithFamily.com |access-date=June 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004757/http://www.interfaithfamily.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ekLSK5MLIrG&b=297403&ct=415783 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }} He grew up in Brooklyn and West Babylon, New York, where he attended West Babylon High School. Rivera's family was sometimes subjected to prejudice and racism, and his mother took to spelling their surname as "Riviera" to avoid having bigotry directed at them, although Riviera, Ribeira, Rivera, and Ribera are variations of the same name as spelled by Galician, Italian and Portuguese families.{{cite book |last= Wood |first=Jamie Martinez |date=2007 |title=Latino Writers and Journalists |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TIlaa0cLu2AC&q=%22geraldo+rivera%22+%22riviera%22&pg=PA195 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Facts on File, Inc. |page=195 |isbn=978-0-8160-6422-9}} Rivera is a common family name in Puerto Rico, which received a significant population of colonists from Galicia, Spain, in the 16th century. The name Rivera is also very common among Sephardic Jews.

When I was born, my mother filled in my birth certificate with the name Gerald Riviera, adding an extra "i" to my father's surname. She did the same thing for my sister Irene. Later, she would drop the pretense for my sister Sharon, only to pick it up again with the birth of my baby brother Craig. Whenever we asked about the inconsistencies, she would shrug shyly and joke her way out of it. "I just forgot how to spell it", she would say, and leave it at that. Underneath, I came to realize, she was deeply embarrassed over what was a clumsy attempt at an ethnic cover-up.

From 1961 to 1963, he attended the State University of New York Maritime College in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, where he was a member of the rowing team.{{cite web|website=Geraldo.com|title=Sailing Book (continues)|url=http://www.geraldo.com/v5/Biographical/Sailing-Book-continues.gr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070327103644/http://www.geraldo.com/v5/Biographical/Sailing-Book-continues.gr|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 27, 2007|date=March 27, 2007 |access-date= December 17, 2011}}{{cite web|website=Fort Schuyler Maritime Alumni Association|url=http://www.fsmaa.org/NFFS/1998/nf980924.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818170027/http://www.fsmaa.org/NFFS/1998/nf980924.cfm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 18, 2007|date=August 18, 2007 |title=September 24, 1998|access-date= December 17, 2011}} Afterwards, he transferred to the University of Arizona, where he received a B.S. in business administration in 1965.{{cite web|url=https://news.arizona.edu/story/tv-journalist-geraldo-rivera-funds-greek-heritage-park|title = TV Journalist Geraldo Rivera Funds Greek Heritage Park|date = September 11, 2015}}

Following a series of jobs ranging from clothing salesman to short-order cook, Rivera enrolled at Brooklyn Law School in 1966. While a law student, he held internships with the New York County District Attorney under crime-fighter Frank Hogan and Harlem Assertion of Rights (a community-based provider of legal services) before receiving his J.D. near the top of his class in 1969. He then held a Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship in poverty law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the summer of 1969 before being admitted to the New York State Bar later that year.

After working with such organizations as the lower Manhattan-based Community Action for Legal Services and the National Lawyers Guild, Rivera became a frequent attorney for the East Harlem-based New York City chapter of the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, eventually precipitating his entry into private practice.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLPrMMKmynwC&q=geraldo+rivera+smith+fellow&pg=PA364|title=Notable Caribbeans and Caribbean Americans|isbn=978-0-313-31443-8|access-date=September 9, 2015|last1=Méndez-Méndez|first1=Serafin|last2=Cueto|first2=Gail|last3=Deynes|first3=Neysa Rodríguez|last4=Rodríguez-Deynes|first4=Neysa|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing }}{{cite book |title=Black against Empire|title-link=Black Against Empire |last1=Bloom |first1=Joshua |last2=Martin | first2=Waldo E. Jr. |publisher=University of California Press |page=295 |date=January 2013 |isbn= 978-0-520-27185-2 }} This work attracted the attention of WABC-TV news director Al Primo when Rivera was interviewed about the group's occupation of a neighborhood church in 1969. Primo offered Rivera a job and he began to study introductory broadcast journalism under Fred Friendly in the Ford Foundation-funded Summer Program in Journalism for Members of Minority Groups at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1970.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HQ6FAAAAQBAJ&q=rivera&pg=PT336|title=Pulitzer's School|date=November 12, 2003|isbn=978-0-231-50017-3|access-date=September 9, 2015|last1=Boylan|first1=James|publisher=Columbia University Press }}

File:Geraldo Rivera circa 1970s.JPG

Rivera was hired by WABC-TV in 1970 as a reporter for Eyewitness News. In 1972, he garnered national attention and won a Peabody Award{{cite book |last1=Powers |first1=Ron |author-link1=Ron Powers |title=The Newscasters: The News Business as Show Business |url=https://archive.org/details/newscasters00ronp |url-access=registration |isbn=0-312-57208-5| year=1977 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/newscasters00ronp/page/185 185]}}See also List of Peabody Award winners (1970–79)#1972 for Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace, his report on the neglect and abuse of patients with intellectual disabilities at Staten Island's Willowbrook State School and Rockland County's Letchworth Village, and he began to appear on ABC national programs such as 20/20 and Nightline upon their launches in 1978 and 1979 respectively. After John Lennon watched Rivera's report on the patients at Willowbrook, he and Rivera put on a benefit concert called "One to One" on August 30, 1972, at Madison Square Garden in New York City (which Yoko Ono released posthumously in 1986, as Live in New York City).

In July 1973, Rivera taped the pilot episode of Good Night America, a late-night newsmagazine that he hosted (and executive produced).{{cite web|url=http://index.geraldo.com/good-night-america|title=Geraldo Rivera: Good Night America|website=index.geraldo.com|access-date=October 27, 2022|archive-date=October 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027200646/http://index.geraldo.com/good-night-america|url-status=dead}} It began its semi-regular airing from April 1974 to June 1977 as part of the ABC's Wide World of Entertainment program block. The show featured Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy" as the theme.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267183/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_117 Good Night America], IMDb. Good Night America tackled controversial topics of the era, including marijuana usage and the status of Vietnam War draft dodgers. The March 6, 1975 episode of the program, featuring Dick Gregory and Robert J. Groden, showed the first national telecast of the historic Zapruder film.{{cite news |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/What-Does-the-Zapruder-Film-Really-Tell-Us-224928822.html?c=y&page=1 |title=What Does the Zapruder Film Really Tell Us? |author=Ron Rosenbaum |work=Smithsonian |date=September 2013 |access-date=September 27, 2013 |archive-date=October 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001043434/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/What-Does-the-Zapruder-Film-Really-Tell-Us-224928822.html?c=y&page=1 |url-status=dead }} All 33 episodes of Good Night America may be viewed and downloaded on Rivera's web site.

On May 19, 1983, Rivera broadcast the first American network television mention of "AIDS" by this name. (Other names had been used in the previous two years, as the disease was poorly understood at the time.) On 20/20, he interviewed New York City lighting designer Ken Ramsauer. Ramsauer died aged 28, four days later;{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I31ODAAAQBAJ&q=Ramsauer |title=How to Survive a Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS |author=David France |author-link=David France (writer) |publisher=Pan Macmillan |date=December 1, 2016 |isbn=978-1-5098-3941-4 }} Rivera delivered a eulogy at Ramsauer's Central Park memorial service.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/14/nyregion/1500-attend-central-park-memorial-service-for-aids-victim.html |title=1,500 attend Central Park memorial service for AIDS victim |author=Lindsey Gruson |work=The New York Times |date=June 14, 1983 |access-date=January 29, 2017 }}

In October 1985, ABC's Roone Arledge refused to air a report done by Sylvia Chase for 20/20 on the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and John and Robert F. Kennedy.Rothenberg, Fred. [https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EADB2B3F1578B86 "RIVERA QUITTING ABC, CITES NETWORK FRICTION."] Wichita Eagle, The (KS), CITY EDITION ed., sec. LIFESTYLE, October 23, 1985, p. 10C. NewsBank: Access World News. Accessed July 31, 2019.{{subscription required}}[https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EB6268B43C3815D "'MARY' SAGS EVEN MORE IN SECOND AIRING OF SERIES."] Akron Beacon Journal (OH), 1 STAR ed., sec. ENTERTAIN, December 20, 1985, p. C10. NewsBank: Access World News. Accessed July 31, 2019.{{subscription required}} Rivera publicly criticized Arledge's journalistic integrity, claiming that his friendship with the Kennedy family (for example, Pierre Salinger, a former Kennedy aide, worked for ABC News at the time) had caused him to spike the story; as a result, Rivera was fired. During a Fox News interview with Megyn Kelly aired May 15, 2015, Rivera stated the official reason given for the firing was that he violated ABC policy when he donated $200 to a non-partisan mayoral race candidate.Kelly, Megyn. "Financial Disclosures Reveal Clintons Earned $25 Million in 2014; ABC Newsman Hit For Undisclosed Donation; Law Enforcement Under Fire in America." Kelly File, The [Fox News] (USA), sec. News; Domestic, May 15, 2015. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/15561E5C4D4EEBE0. Accessed September 30, 2021.

On April 21, 1986, Rivera hosted The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. The special broadcast was billed as the unearthing of mobster Al Capone's secret vaults, located under the old Lexington Hotel in Chicago. Millions of people watched the 2-hour show, which ultimately did not uncover any valuables from beneath the hotel. In a 2016 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Rivera commented, "It was an amazingly high profile program—maybe the highest profile program I've ever been associated with."{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-al-capone-vault-geraldo-rivera-htmlstory.html |title=For its 30th anniversary, we watched Al Capone's Vaults with Geraldo Rivera so you didn't have to |author=Rumore, Kori |date=April 22, 2016 |access-date=October 14, 2016 }}

In 1987, Rivera began producing and hosting the daytime talk show Geraldo, which ran for 11 years. The show featured controversial guests and theatricality, which led to the characterization of his show as "trash TV" by Newsweek and two United States senators.{{cite news |publisher=Associated Press |title=Two Democratic Senators Join Bennett's Crusade Against 'Trash TV' |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/20671503.html?dids=20671503:20671503&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326021021/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/20671503.html?dids=20671503:20671503&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-03-26 |format=newspaper |work=Chicago Tribune |page=26 |date=1995-12-08 |access-date=2009-03-02 |quote=Two Democratic senators are joining Friday with William Bennett ... to criticize advertisers who support what critics call 'trash TV' talk shows ... In television and radio ads to begin airing Friday, Bennett and Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) urge companies to withdraw advertising dollars from ... [shows including] 'Geraldo,'}} In another special in 1988, Rivera's nose was broken in a well-publicized brawl during a show whose guests included white supremacists, antiracist skinheads, black activist Roy Innis, and militant Jewish activists.{{cite news |title=Geraldo Rivera's Nose Broken In Scuffle on His Talk Show |url=https://nytimes.com/1988/11/04/nyregion/geraldo-rivera-s-nose-broken-in-scuffle-on-his-talk-show.html |work=The New York Times |date=1988-11-04 |access-date=2013-01-17}}

In 1999, Rivera received an offer to host the game show Winning Lines on CBS, which was set to premiere in January 2000, but Rivera could not agree on the contract at the last minute and was replaced by Dick Clark.

From 1994 to 2001, Rivera hosted Rivera Live, a CNBC evening news and interview show which aired on weeknights.{{cite news |last=Beatty|first=Sally |date=2001-11-02 |title=Geraldo Rivera to Leave CNBC for Fox and, Then, to Cover War |url=https://wsj.com/articles/SB1004655866590763080 |work=Wall Street Journal |location=New York}}

In 1998, Rivera played himself in the Seinfeld finale.

In 2009, Rivera played himself in the My Name Is Earl episodes "Inside Probe" (parts 1 and 2). In the same year Rivera lent his voice to Phineas and Ferb, playing newscaster Morty Williams in the episode "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!".

File:GeraldoCHCI.jpg's 2008 Public Policy Conference]]

Rivera left CNBC in November 2001—two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks—to become a Fox News war correspondent. Rivera's brother Craig accompanied him as a cameraman on assignments in Afghanistan.

In 2001, during the War in Afghanistan, Rivera was derided for a report in which he claimed to be at the scene of a friendly fire incident; it was later revealed he was actually 300 miles away. Rivera blamed a minor misunderstanding for the discrepancy.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1365910/Gun-toting-Geraldo-under-fire-for-the-story-that-never-was.html "Gun-toting Geraldo under fire for the story that never was"], The Daily Telegraph, December 20, 2001

Controversy arose in early 2003, while Rivera was traveling with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. During a Fox News broadcast, Rivera began to disclose an upcoming operation, even going so far as to draw a map in the sand for his audience. The military immediately issued a firm denunciation of his actions, saying it put the operation at risk; Rivera was expelled from Iraq.{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/31/sprj.irq.geraldo/ | title=Military kicks Geraldo out of Iraq | first=Chris | last=Plante | publisher=CNN | date=March 31, 2003 | access-date=November 17, 2015}}{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE5DD1039F932A35757C0A9659C8B63 | work=The New York Times | title=Pentagon Says Geraldo Rivera Will Be Removed From Iraq | first=David | last=Carr | date=April 1, 2003 | access-date=May 3, 2010}} Two days later, he announced that he would be reporting on the Iraq conflict from Kuwait.{{cite news |url=http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/features/20030406-2027-war-riveraapologizes.html |title=Geraldo Rivera apologizes for breaking reporting rules in Iraq |publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune|agency=Associated Press |access-date=June 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222040915/http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/features/20030406-2027-war-riveraapologizes.html |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

In 2005, Rivera engaged in a feud with The New York Times over their allegations that he pushed aside a member of a rescue team in order to be filmed "assisting" a woman in a wheelchair down some steps in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the ensuing controversy, Rivera appeared on television and demanded a retraction from the Times. He further threatened to sue the paper if one was not provided.{{cite news|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2005/09/07/geraldo-rivera-might-sue-the-new-york-times/ |date=September 7, 2005|title=Geraldo Rivera might sue The New York Times|work= TV Squad| access-date= December 17, 2011}} The Times later acknowledged that Rivera did not push the woman aside.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73455193/entertainment-tidbits/ |date=September 30, 2005|title=Entertainment Tidbits|work= Whitehorse Daily Star|page=62}}

In 2007, Rivera was involved in a dispute with fellow Fox colleague Michelle Malkin. Malkin announced that she would not return to The O'Reilly Factor, claiming that Fox News had mishandled a dispute over derogatory statements Rivera had made about her in a Boston Globe interview. Rivera, while objecting to her views on immigration, said, "Michelle Malkin is the most vile, hateful commentator I've ever met in my life. She actually believes that neighbors should start snitching out neighbors, and we should be deporting people." He added, "It's good she's in D.C., and I'm in New York. I'd spit on her if I saw her." Rivera later apologized for his comments.Shanahan, Mark. [https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/09/01/making_waves "Making waves: controversial celebrity newsman Geraldo Rivera"], The Boston Globe, September 1, 2007.Malkin, Michelle. [http://michellemalkin.com/2007/09/01/geraldo-rivera-unhinged "Geraldo Rivera unhinged"], MichelleMalkin.com, September 1, 2007.

In 2008, Rivera's book, titled HisPanic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S., was released.{{cite news|last=Rivera |first=Geraldo |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87866811 |title=Rivera Takes on Anti-Immigrant Fervor in 'His Panic' |newspaper=NPR.org |publisher=NPR |access-date=September 29, 2010}}

On January 3, 2012, Rivera began hosting a weekday radio talk show on WABC (770 AM) in New York, N.Y.{{cite news|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/geraldo-rivera-gets-talk-deal-on-wabc-radio/ |title=Geraldo Rivera Gets Talk Deal on WABC Radio|author= Brian Stelter|journal=The New York Times|date= December 11, 2011}} The show was scheduled in the two hours between Imus in the Morning and The Rush Limbaugh Show on WABC. On January 30, 2012, Rivera also began hosting a weekday show on KABC (790 AM) in Los Angeles.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jan-20-la-et-geraldo-kabc-20120120-story.html|title=Geraldo Rivera to debut radio talk show on KABC-AM|author=Steve Carney|journal=Los Angeles Times|date=January 20, 2012|access-date=February 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129091824/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/20/entertainment/la-et-geraldo-kabc-20120120|archive-date=January 29, 2012|url-status=live}}

On March 23, 2012, Rivera made comments regarding Trayvon Martin's hoodie and how the hoodie was connected to Martin's shooting death, specifically claiming that Martin would not have been shot if he was not wearing the hoodie, repeating them on subsequent occasions.{{YouTube|2Yyqkcc-a8U|Fox News Segment of Geraldo Rivera's Comments Regarding Trayvon Martin's Death}} Rivera apologized for any offense that he caused with the comments. His son Gabriel said that he was "ashamed".{{cite web|last=Lee |first=MJ |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/03/geraldo-my-own-son-ashamed-of-me-074403 |title=Geraldo Rivera: My own son ashamed of me |publisher=Politico |date=March 23, 2012 |access-date=March 28, 2012}} Some people found the apology disingenuous;{{cite news|last=Wemple|first=Erik|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/geraldo-undoes-apology/2012/03/27/gIQAkDXdeS_blog.html|title=Geraldo undoes apology!|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122020118/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/geraldo-undoes-apology/2012/03/27/gIQAkDXdeS_blog.html|archive-date=January 22, 2021|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Adam|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/geraldo-riveras-hoodie-apology-worst-ever/330064/|title=Geraldo Rivera's Hoodie Apology Is the Worst Ever|work=The Atlantic|date=March 27, 2012|access-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122015004/https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/geraldo-riveras-hoodie-apology-worst-ever/330064/|archive-date=January 22, 2021|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Goodale|first=Gloria|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0329/Spike-Lee-and-Geraldo-Why-is-a-good-apology-so-hard-to-find|title=Spike Lee and Geraldo: Why is a good apology so hard to find?|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=March 29, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122015941/https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0329/Spike-Lee-and-Geraldo-Why-is-a-good-apology-so-hard-to-find|archive-date=January 22, 2021|url-status=live}} among those who did not accept it was Rivera's longtime friend Russell Simmons.{{cite web|last=Simmons |first=Russell |author-link=Russell Simmons |url=http://globalgrind.com/news/geraldo-rivera-russell-simmons-hoodie-comment-apology-trayvon-martin |title=Geraldo, Your Apology Is Bullsh*t! |publisher=Global Grind |date=March 27, 2012}} He later apologized to Trayvon Martin's parents as well.{{YouTube|sGMBozGhyP0|Geraldo Rivera's Apology}}

In 2015, Rivera competed on the 14th season of the television series The Celebrity Apprentice, where he ultimately placed second to TV personality Leeza Gibbons. However, Rivera still raised the highest amount of money out of any contestant in the season, with $726,000, $12,000 more than Gibbons.

Rivera hosted the newsmagazine program Geraldo at Large and appears regularly on Fox News. On November 13, 2015, Rivera revealed on Fox that his daughter, Simone Cruickshank, was at the Stade de France when the attacks and explosions occurred; she and her friends made it out alive and would be returning safely home.{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/geraldo-riveras-daughter-in-paris-during-terror-attack/article/2576329 |title=Geraldo Rivera's daughter in Paris during terror attack |first=T. Becket |last=Adams |newspaper=Washington Examiner |date=November 13, 2015 |access-date=November 14, 2015}}

He continued to host a weekday talk radio show on WABC (770 AM) until a leadership change at parent company Cumulus Media resulted in his contract not being renewed in November 2015; Geraldo would later sue Cumulus for what he claimed was the reneging of a "handshake agreement" between him, previous chairman Lew Dickey and executive vice president John Dickey.{{cite web|last=Venta |first=Lance |url= https://radioinsight.com/headlines/95353/geraldo-rivera-exits-wabc/ |title= Geraldo Rivera Sues Cumulus Over WABC Exit |publisher=RadioInsight.com |date=December 10, 2015 |access-date=September 23, 2018}}

Rivera competed on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancer Edyta Śliwińska.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dancing-stars-2016-season-22-celebrity-cast-revealed/story?id=37472389|title='Dancing With the Stars' 2016: Season 22 Celebrity Cast Revealed Live on 'GMA'|work=ABC News|date=March 8, 2016|access-date=March 8, 2016}} On March 28, 2016, Rivera and Śliwińska were the first couple to be eliminated from the competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/dancing-with-the-stars/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-l-59398.aspx|title='Dancing with the Stars' Recap: Latin Night and the First Elimination|work=buddytv.com|access-date=March 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331095248/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/dancing-with-the-stars/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-l-59398.aspx|archive-date=March 31, 2016|url-status=dead}} On November 29, 2017, Rivera defended Matt Lauer, who had been fired by NBC after inappropriate sexual behavior was alleged, by saying, "News is a flirty business."{{cite magazine|last1=Corriston|first1=Michele|title=Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer: 'News Is a Flirty Business'|url=http://people.com/tv/geraldo-rivera-defends-matt-lauer/|magazine=People|access-date=November 29, 2017|date=November 29, 2017}} He later apologized after receiving heavy criticism.{{cite magazine|last1=Ramos|first1=Dino-Ray|title=Geraldo Rivera Apologizes For Matt Lauer Comments; Fox News "Troubled" By Tweets|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/fox-news-geraldo-rivera-matt-lauer-reaction-sexual-harassment-statement-1202217152/|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=November 29, 2017|date=November 29, 2017}} Part of the controversy stemmed from his 1991 book "Exposing Myself", which bragged about his active social life in the 1960s and 1970s.{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/geraldo-riveras-1991-memoir-is-a-fck-fest-filled-bible-of-workplace-harassment|title=Geraldo Rivera's 1991 Memoir Is a Horndog's Bible of Workplace Harassment|first=Erin Gloria|last=Ryan|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=December 1, 2017|via=www.thedailybeast.com}} In a 1991 interview with Barbara Walters, actress Bette Midler accused Rivera and one of his producers of having drugged and groped her during the early 1970s. The allegation resurfaced during the 2017 #MeToo movement. He issued a statement in November 2017 that claimed a different recollection of events than Midler's and apologized for the incident.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/11/30/bette-midler-tweets-metoo-story-assault-geraldo-rivera-barbara-walters-interview/909925001/|title=Geraldo Rivera apologizes to Bette Midler after she alleged he groped her in the 1970s|website=USA Today|access-date=February 9, 2018}}

The 2017 Kendrick Lamar song "YAH." on his fourth studio album DAMN. mentions Rivera, who criticized Lamar's performance of "Alright" at the BET Awards 2015.{{Cite magazine|first1=Elias|last1=Leight|first2=Mosi|last2=Reeves|last3=Lee|first3=Christina|date=April 14, 2017|title=Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn.': A Track-by-Track Guide|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kendrick-lamars-damn-a-track-by-track-guide-114407/|access-date=March 10, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}} The album's second track, "DNA." also features Rivera's negative comments about Lamar.

On September 22, 2018, Geraldo and WTAM (1100 AM) in Cleveland, Ohio announced that he would join the station to host a daily one-hour talk show, Geraldo in Cleveland, in addition to a weekly podcast on the parent iHeartRadio app, effective September 24.{{cite press release|date=September 22, 2018|title= Geraldo Rivera Joins WTAM|url= https://wtam.iheart.com/content/2018-09-22-geraldo-rivera-joins-wtam/|work=WTAM.com|publisher=iHeartMedia|access-date=September 23, 2018}} (Rivera resides in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.)

On March 13, 2020, during a segment of Fox & Friends discussing the coronavirus pandemic, Rivera stated, "If you can't hold your breath for 10 seconds. Everyone should do that. Hold your breath for 10 seconds. If you can hold your breath for 10 seconds then you don't have this disease."{{cite web|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-friends-churns-out-insane-misinformation-on-coronavirus/|title=Fox & Friends Churns Out Misinformation on Coronavirus|date=March 13, 2020|website=Mediaite|language=en|access-date=March 17, 2020}} This false claim has been debunked by medical experts.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/afs:Content:8635070312|title=Ability to hold your breath 10 seconds is not a test for coronavirus|date=March 12, 2020|website=AP NEWS|access-date=March 17, 2020}}

On July 22, 2020, Rivera called President Trump "brave" for wishing Ghislaine Maxwell "well", after a reporter questioned Trump over Maxwell's charges of helping Jeffrey Epstein traffic and abuse children. Rivera called the fact that Maxwell had been denied bail and given solitary confinement an example of "woke politics". Rivera had previously accused the judge who had denied bail to Maxwell of caving to the "mob".{{Cite news|last=Baragona|first=Justin|title=Geraldo Rivera: Trump Was 'Brave' to Wish Ghislaine Maxwell 'Well'|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-star-geraldo-rivera-says-trump-was-brave-to-wish-ghislaine-maxwell-well|website=The Daily Beast|date=July 22, 2020}}

On September 6, 2020, Fox News presented a one-hour special segment, "I Am Geraldo", on Rivera's 50-year television career, which began with accolades for such from President Trump.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/geraldo-rivera-celebrates-50-years-in-television-see-his-life-and-career-throughout-the-years/|title=Geraldo Rivera Celebrates 50 Years in Television: See His Life and Career Throughout the Years|website=PEOPLE.com}}

On April 8, 2021, during a discussion on St. Louis mayor-elect Tishaura Jones, Rivera asked fellow contributor Leo Terrell, a black man, "when was the last time you were in the ghetto?"{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/all-hell-breaks-loose-when-geraldo-asks-black-fox-pundit-when-hes-last-been-in-the-ghetto |title=All Hell Breaks Loose When Geraldo Asks Black Fox Pundit When He's Last Been 'In the Ghetto' |date=April 8, 2021 |last=Baragona |first=Justin |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=April 9, 2021}} Terrell then became outraged, with the two escalating into a shouting match. Rivera later apologized to Terrell on Twitter, saying he "didn't mean it personally".{{cite web |url=https://uproxx.com/viral/geraldo-rivera-apology-black-fox-news-guest-ghetto/ |title=Geraldo Rivera Apologized For Asking A Black Fox News Guest About The Last Time He Was In 'The Ghetto,' Causing All Hell To Break Loose |date=April 8, 2021 |last=Ricci |first=Kimberly |website=Uproxx |access-date=April 9, 2021}}

On December 14, 2021, Rivera called to account texts sent by Fox news anchors, including Sean Hannity to then-President Donald J. Trump asking for a forceful response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. Imploring, "I beg you, Sean [Hannity], to remember the frame of mind you were in when you wrote that text on January 6th. And when Laura [Ingraham] did. And when Brian [Kilmeade] did. And when Don Jr. did. Remember that concern you had."{{cite web |author1=Tim Hains |title=Geraldo Begs Hannity: "Remember The Frame Of Mind You Were In When You Wrote That Text On January 6" |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/12/14/geraldo_begs_hannity_remember_the_frame_of_mind_you_were_in_when_you_wrote_that_text_on_january_6.html |publisher=RealClear |access-date=December 29, 2022|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215230136/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/12/14/geraldo_begs_hannity_remember_the_frame_of_mind_you_were_in_when_you_wrote_that_text_on_january_6.html |archive-date=December 15, 2021 |date=December 14, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Bauder |first1=David |title=WATCH: Rep. Cheney reads texts sent by Fox hosts to Mark Meadows on Jan. 6 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-rep-cheney-reads-texts-sent-by-fox-hosts-to-mark-meadows-on-jan-6 |work=PBS |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416092906/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-rep-cheney-reads-texts-sent-by-fox-hosts-to-mark-meadows-on-jan-6 |archive-date=16 April 2024}}

In January 2022, Rivera joined The Five as a rotating liberal co-host alongside Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr.{{Cite web |title=Media Relations {{!}} Fox News |url=https://press.foxnews.com/2022/01/jeanine-pirro-named-co-host-of-the-five-with-liberal-seat-to-rotate-between-harold-ford-jr-geraldo-rivera-and-jessica-tarlov |access-date=2023-06-21 |language=en}} He announced on June 21, 2023, that he would be departing the program on June 30 but remaining with the network.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-21 |title=JUST IN: Fox News' Geraldo Rivera Announces He's Off 'The Five' |url=https://www.mediaite.com/news/just-in-fox-news-geraldo-rivera-announces-hes-off-the-five/ |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=Mediaite |language=en}} A week later Rivera announced that he had been fired from The Five hours before his scheduled June 29 appearance. As a result he quit Fox News after 23 years, citing "growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal annoyances and gripes."{{Cite news |last=Baragona |first=Justin |date=2023-06-29 |title=Geraldo Rivera Quits Fox News, Says He Was Fired From 'The Five' |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/geraldo-rivera-quits-fox-news-says-he-was-fired-from-the-five |access-date=2023-06-29}}

In February 2024, NewsNation announced Rivera would join the network as a correspondent-at-large. This followed him appearing on the network as a guest repeatedly in the months prior to the announcement.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=2024-02-14 |title=Geraldo Rivera Joins NewsNation As Correspondent At Large |url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/geraldo-rivera-newsnation-1235825375/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mastrangelo |first=Dominick |date=2024-02-14 |title=NewsNation signs Geraldo Rivera as correspondent-at-large |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4467505-newsnation-geraldo-rivera/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2024-02-14 |title=Geraldo Rivera Joins NewsNation as Correspondent at Large |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/geraldo-rivera-joins-newsnation-correspondent-1235910709/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Rivera has been married five times:

1. Linda Coblentz (1965–1969, divorced)
2. Edith Vonnegut (December 14, 1971 – 1975, divorced)
3. Sherryl Raymond (December 31, 1976 – 1984, divorced)
   son: Gabriel Miguel (born July 1979){{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-05-ca-560-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Dennis | last=McDougal | date=March 5, 1989 | title=There's a New Geraldo ... Sort of : Rivera' still a TV outlaw, but he's moving into new corporate, personal and professional worlds}}Froelich, Janis D. (July 15, 1991) [https://web.archive.org/web/20110428152250/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/172400/GERALDO----ER-MAKE-THAT-GERALD-RIVERAS-MOMS-TELL-ALL.html?pg=2 Geraldo... Er, Make That Gerald Rivera's Moms Tell All!]. Deseret News. Retrieved on December 17, 2011.
4. C.C. (Cynthia Cruickshank) Dyer (July 11, 1987 – 2000, divorced)
   children: daughter Isabella Holmes (born 1992)[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mLItAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Bs8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6547,4141573&dq=geraldo+and+wife&hl=en Geraldo, wife overcome fertility foes, have baby]. Herald-Journal. November 9, 1992 daughter Simone Cruickshank (born 1994). Six other attempts at having children through IVF ended in miscarriage
5. Erica Michelle Levy (since August 2003)
   one daughter[http://www.geraldo.com/v5/Geraldo-At-Large/50-highs-and-lows-from-40-years-in-the-news-business.gr 50 Highs and Lows from 40 Years in the News Business] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130124032107/http://www.geraldo.com/v5/Geraldo-At-Large/50-highs-and-lows-from-40-years-in-the-news-business.gr |date=January 24, 2013 }}. Geraldo.com (September 5, 2010). Retrieved on December 17, 2011.

Rivera has admitted to having a multi-year affair with Marian Javits, wife of New York Senator Jacob Javits, until 1985.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9-3MD6BYncC&q=masters+of+sex|title=Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love|last=Maier|first=Thomas|date=August 3, 2010|publisher=Basic Books|isbn=978-0-465-02040-9|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In a 1991 interview with Barbara Walters, actress and singer Bette Midler accused Rivera of groping her. In a 2017 tweet, Midler renewed the accusation. Rivera later tweeted a response, saying he recalled the incident "much differently," and apologized, "in the very least, publicly embarrassing her all those years ago."{{cite web|last=Weaver|first=Hilary|title=Geraldo Rivera Apologizes to Bette Midler for "Embarrassing Her All Those Years Ago" [Updated] {{!}} Vanity Fair|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/11/bette-midler-speaks-out-against-geraldo-rivera|access-date=April 9, 2021|website=www.vanityfair.com|date=November 30, 2017}}

Rivera is a resident of Shaker Heights, Ohio.{{cite news |author= |title=Geraldo Rivera to host daily morning show on WTAM 1100 |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/geraldo-rivera-to-host-daily-morning-show-on-wtam-1100/95-597166746 |work=WKYC 3 |location=Cleveland, Ohio |date=September 22, 2018 |access-date=October 19, 2018|quote=Rivera... met his wife Erica in the area and resides with her in Shaker Heights.}} He previously resided in Middletown Township, New Jersey, at Rough Point, an 1895 shingle-style estate.Cheslow, Jerry. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE1DC1539F937A15751C1A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "If You're Thinking of Living In: Middletown Township, N.J.;A Historic Community on Raritan Bay"], The New York Times, December 24, 1995. Accessed May 10, 2007. "The most expensive area is along the Shrewsbury River, where an eight-bedroom colonial on five acres is listed at $5.9 million. Among the residents of that area are Geraldo Rivera, the television personality, and members of the Hovnanian home-building family."

Rivera is an active sailor. As owner and skipper of the sailing vessel Voyager, he participated in the Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race in 1985, 2005, 2011, and 2013. In 2013, his vessel finished in 12th place out of 34 finishers.{{cite web|url=http://marionbermuda.com/images/archive/2013/finishorder.pdf |title=Finish Line Order |publisher=Marionbermuda.com |date=June 29, 2013 |access-date=January 2, 2017}} He also sailed Voyager 1,400 miles up the Amazon river and around the world, going so far as to meet the King of Tonga on the international dateline in time for the new millennium. The adventures were chronicled in six one-hour-long specials on The Travel Channel,{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1085499/ |title=Sail To The Century |date=November 11, 1999 |publisher=imdb.com}} and some of this footage remains available on his website.{{cite web |url=http://www.geraldo.com/folio/sail-to-the-century |title=Geraldo Rivera: Sail To The Century |publisher=geraldo.com |access-date=January 9, 2016 |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325122155/http://geraldo.com/folio/sail-to-the-century |url-status=dead }}

He has been a longtime resident of the Edgewater Colony, a community located along the Hudson River in Edgewater, New Jersey.[https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/lifestyle/2004/09/14/good-neighbor-policy-geraldo-suing/50385562007/ "Geraldo Rivera sues over housing dispute"], San Angelo Standard-Times, September 14, 2004. Accessed February 27, 2025. "The Fox News senior correspondent owns two homes in the 26-acre Edgewater Colony, where residents own their homes but share ownership of the land.... 'I intend living here always, hopefully in peace and loving my neighbors.'"

Rivera is a Republican.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/geraldo_rivera_discussing_us_s.html|title=Geraldo Rivera declares himself a 'moderate Republican' as he eyes U.S. Senate run|work=NJ.com|access-date=April 3, 2018|language=en-US |date=February 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202070138/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/geraldo_rivera_discussing_us_s.html |archive-date=February 2, 2013 |url-status=live}} He has described himself as pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-immigration reform.{{Cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Greg |date=2018-04-07 |title=Disappointed Bill Maher Tells Fox News' Geraldo Rivera "I Looked Up To You", Defends "Terrible Person" Laura Ingraham |url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/bill-maher-geraldo-rivera-hbo-real-time-i-looked-up-to-you-1202360153/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407073124/https://deadline.com/2018/04/bill-maher-geraldo-rivera-hbo-real-time-i-looked-up-to-you-1202360153/ |archive-date=2018-04-07 |url-status=live}} Rivera supports some gun control. Following the Uvalde school shooting, he criticized the National Rifle Association (NRA) for saying that 18-year-olds should have the ability to purchase assault weapons, questioning why an 18-year-old is able to buy an assault weapon but not a beer.{{cite web |date=May 25, 2022 |title=Geraldo and Bongino spar over response to Uvalde school shooting |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7r-9-j3o8o |access-date=May 26, 2022 |work=Fox News |via=YouTube}}

In 2002, Rivera described himself as being a Zionist who would die for Israel. However, he also said that Palestinian suffering was turning him into a Palestinianist.{{Cite web |date=2003-05-23 |title=Geraldo Rivera: 'The Jews Need Me Right Now' |url=https://forward.com/news/8891/geraldo-rivera-the-jews-need-me-right-now/ |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=The Forward |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518043745/https://forward.com/news/8891/geraldo-rivera-the-jews-need-me-right-now/ |archive-date=2022-05-18 |url-status=live}} Rivera has also frequently criticized Israeli treatment of Palestine.{{Cite web |last=Rivera |first=Geraldo |date=2016-12-15 |title=Geraldo Rivera: Israel-Gaza, the Unholy War |url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/geraldo-rivera-israel-gaza-the-unholy-war |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=Fox News |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306045433/https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/geraldo-rivera-israel-gaza-the-unholy-war |archive-date=2023-03-06 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Lahut |first=Jake |title=An irate Geraldo Rivera lashed out at Dan Bongino again on Fox News, calling him 'a punk' and hurling a wad of paper at the camera: 'I'm sick of you!' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/geraldo-rivera-dan-bongino-argument-fox-news-video-sean-hannity-2021-5 |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |date=2021-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521055125/https://www.businessinsider.com/geraldo-rivera-dan-bongino-argument-fox-news-video-sean-hannity-2021-5 |archive-date=2021-05-21 |url-status=live}} In 2017, Rivera criticized Israel for its military attacks on Gaza which killed civilians and babies.{{Cite web |last=Rivera |first=Geraldo |date=2016-12-15 |title=Geraldo Rivera: Israel-Gaza, the Unholy War |url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/geraldo-rivera-israel-gaza-the-unholy-war |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}} During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Rivera said it was "abhorrent" that Palestinian children died in bombings from Israel retaliating against Hamas.{{cite web |last=Lahut |first=Jake |title=An irate Geraldo Rivera lashed out at Dan Bongino again on Fox News, calling him 'a punk' and hurling a wad of paper at the camera: 'I'm sick of you!' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/geraldo-rivera-dan-bongino-argument-fox-news-video-sean-hannity-2021-5 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} That same year Rivera criticized the United States for providing arms to Israel which it used to bomb the Gaza Strip and sided with Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in opposing the sale.{{Cite news |last=Baragona |first=Justin |date=2021-05-19 |title=Geraldo Rivera: U.S. 'Complicit' in Israel's 'Crime Against Humanity' |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-star-geraldo-rivera-says-us-is-complicit-in-israels-crime-against-humanity-in-palesti |access-date=2023-03-06}}

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Rivera supported Democratic candidate Barack Obama, while in the 2012 election he supported Republican Mitt Romney.{{Cite news |title=Geraldo Rivera Senate run: Is he really a Republican? |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2013/0201/Geraldo-Rivera-Senate-run-Is-he-really-a-Republican |access-date=2023-04-29 |issn=0882-7729}} Despite his friendship with Donald Trump, Rivera has nevertheless confirmed that he did not vote for the Republican candidate in the 2016 election because of "spousal influence".{{Citation |title=Geraldo Rivera On Friendship With Trump, Weighs In an Stormy Daniels, Matt Lauer Scandals |date=March 30, 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqFPetLIDP4 |work=The View |access-date=April 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211109/sqFPetLIDP4 |url-status=live |archive-date=November 9, 2021}}{{cbignore}} He had also previously said he would not vote for Trump because of comments made by the latter regarding Mexicans.{{Cite news |title=Geraldo Rivera says his friendship with Trump has its limits |language=en |work=McClatchy, DC Bureau |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article94011722.html |access-date=April 3, 2018}} He announced in 2024 that he would be voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election due to his personal objections to the January 6 Capitol riots and his opposition to Trump's economic policies.{{Cite news |title=Former Fox News host Geraldo Rivera endorses Harris and hits out at ex-friend turned 'sore loser' Trump|language=en |author=Liddell, James|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-geraldo-rivera-fox-news-harris-election-b2629568.html|access-date=October 16, 2024}}

Rivera considered running as a Republican in the 2013 U.S. Senate special election in New Jersey to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Frank Lautenberg.{{cite news|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/fox-news-monitors-geraldo-as-he-mulls-political-office/|title=Fox News Monitors Geraldo as He Mulls Political Office|last=Stetler|first=Brian|date=February 4, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times}} He eventually decided not to stand for election. Rivera also considered running in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Ohio after incumbent Senator Rob Portman announced he would not seek re-election for his seat in the Senate.{{cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Cameron |date=March 10, 2020 |title=Geraldo Rivera says he's considering running for Senate |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/542636-geraldo-rivera-says-hes-considering-running-for-senate |access-date=March 10, 2020 |work=The Hill}} He eventually decided not to.{{cite web |title=Geraldo apologizes after backing out of possible Senate run: 'Our dreams got ahead of our plan |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/geraldo-apologizes-backing-out-possible-senate-run-dreams-ahead-plan-071929004.html |access-date=March 12, 2021 |website=www.yahoo.com |date=March 12, 2021 |language=en-US}}

• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=Willowbrook: A report on how it is and why it doesn't have to be that way|year=1972|publisher=Vintage Books|location=New York|isbn=0-394-71844-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/willowbrookrepor00rive}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=Miguel Robles—So Far|year=1973|publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich|location=San Diego|isbn=0-15-253900-X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/miguelroblessofa0000rive}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=Puerto Rico: Island of Contrasts, pictures by William Negron|year=1973|publisher=Parents Magazine Press|isbn=0-8193-0683-5}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=A Special Kind of Courage: Profiles of young Americans|year=1977|publisher=Bantam Books|location=New York|isbn=0-553-10501-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=Exposing Myself|year=1992|publisher=Bantam |location=London|isbn=0-553-29874-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera| first=Geraldo|title=HisPanic: Why Americans fear Hispanics in the U. S. |year=2008| publisher=Celebra|location=New York|isbn=978-0-451-22414-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=The Great Progression: How Hispanics Will Lead America to a New Era of Prosperity|year=2009|publisher=New American Library|location=New York|isbn=978-0-451-22881-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Rivera|first=Geraldo|title=The Geraldo Show, A Memoir|year=2018|publisher=Benbella Books|location=Texas|isbn=978-1-944648-90-9}}

• List of Puerto Ricans

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons category|Geraldo Rivera}}

• {{Official website|https://www.geraldo.com/}}
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061120091015/http://www.geraldo.com/v1/iraq.php |date=November 20, 2006 |title="Geraldo Rivera Official Statement Regarding Embedment Controversy", 4 April 2003 }} – Rivera tells the story of his Iraq "Map in the Sand"
• [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/01/international/worldspecial/01MEDI.html "Pentagon Says Geraldo Rivera Will Be Removed From Iraq"] – The New York Times, April 1, 2003
• [http://www.religioustolerance.org/geraldo.htm Geraldo Rivera's Influence on the Satanic Ritual Abuse and Recovered Memory Hoaxes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106123732/http://www.religioustolerance.org/geraldo.htm |date=January 6, 2012 }} – from religioustolerance.org
• [http://www.snopes.com/media/celebrity/geraldo.asp Urban Legend about Geraldo Rivera's name being changed from Jerry Rivers] – from snopes.com
• {{IMDb name|729273|Geraldo Rivera}}
• {{Emmytvlegends name|geraldo-rivera}}
• {{C-SPAN|6423}}
• {{Muckrack}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Conservatism|Hispanic and Latino Americans|Puerto Rico}}

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