Geraldo Rivera backs fired news host Matt Lauer
Fox News disowns tweets from its commentator, who says news is a ‘flirty business’ and calls ‘Today’ host ‘a real gentleman’
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera backed fired NBC News host Matt Lauer in a series of tweets Wednesday, saying that “news is a flirty business.”
Rivera later apologized, calling sexual harassment “a horrendous problem,” but only after Fox News had distanced itself from his comments.
Rivera called Lauer a “great guy” and “a real gentleman,” and defended him, saying that “it seems like current epidemic of sexual harassment allegations may be criminalizing courtship and conflating it with predation.”
Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2017
In his tweets he also mentioned Garrison Keillor, who was fired Wednesday by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of what the network termed “improper behavior.”
Variety reported that Lauer has been accused of exposing himself to a female employee and had “reprimanded her for not engaging in a sexual act.” He also reportedly once gave a colleague a sex toy along with a note describing how he wanted to use it on her.
Yet, Rivera implied that Lauer was just trying to date the women and being a “jerk” about it, saying that doing so did not qualify as sexual harassment.
A jerk's a jerk in dating. #SexHarassment should be confined to situations where superior imposes himself on subordinate who feels unable to complain because of power of perp or feared consequences to victim's employment. Shouldn't be used to get even w bad bosses or hated ex's
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2017
Rivera also suggested that accusations of sexual harassment should have a shorter statute of limitations and require corroboration, saying that some accusers are motivated by prospective financial gain.
#SexHarassment allegations should require: 1-made in a timely fashion-say w/n 5 yrs. 2-some contemporaneous corroboration, like witnesses, electronic or written communications. W $ settlements in multi-millions slight chance exists some victims are motivated by more than justice
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2017
He added that the topic was too “red hot” to allow for rational discussion at the moment.
This issue is so red hot right now there is no room for any thought or opinion but hang em high. If News wasn’t (formerly) a flirty biz then how do we explain so many newsroom courtships that have led to happy marriages?
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2017
Fox News issued a statement distancing itself from Rivera’s comments.
“Geraldo’s tweets do not reflect the views of FOX News or its management,” the statement said. “We were troubled by his comments and are addressing them with him.”
Rivera subsequently issued an apology, claiming he did not explain himself properly.
Reaction to my tweets today on #sexharassment makes clear
I didn't sufficiently explain that this is a horrendous problem
long hidden-Harassers are deviants who deserve what is coming
to them-Often victims are too frightened to come
forward in a timely fashion-I humbly apologize— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 30, 2017
Rivera was himself accused of sexual harassment in 1991.
In his autobiography Rivera claimed to have seduced many women including the singer and actress Bette Midler. In a subsequent interview, Midler said that Rivera had not “seduced” her but rather drugged her and groped her.
“He didn’t rape me, but it was close,” she said.
Rivera dismissed Midler’s account of the incident as “preposterous.”