Several longtime news anchors and TV personalities have left their networks in recent months, both by choice and not. Journalist Geraldo Rivera—well known for his unique reporting style, iconic mustache, and notorious “self-promotion“—is the latest to call its quits. Earlier this month, Rivera tweeted that he was leaving The Five, Fox News’ political five-person talk show, on which Rivera served as one of the alternating liberal voices. But while he initially said he would still be part of the network, he’s now singing a different tune. Read on to find out why Rivera says he’s done with Fox News for good.
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On June 21, Rivera took to Twitter to announce that he was leaving The Five, with his last scheduled shows set for June 29 and June 30. Since Jan. 2022, Rivera has been one of these official liberal panelists alongside the four regular conservative personalities: Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro, and Greg Gutfeld.
“It’s been a great run and I appreciate having had the opportunity,” Rivera wrote on Twitter. “Being the odd man out isn’t always easy. For the time being, I’m still Correspondent at Large.”
Speaking with the Associated Press after the news broke, Rivera said there was “a growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal annoyances and grips. It’s not worth it to me.”
He added, “I’m 80 years old. I don’t want the friction. The Five is too intimate a place and it gets too personal.”
Rivera most notably clashed with Gutfeld. In April, Rivera told his co-panelist to “stop pointing at me” during a discussion of electric vehicles, and in 2022, Rivera called Gutfeld an “arrogant punk” while they were arguing over abortion, AP reported.
His relationship with his conservative colleagues is “a reflection of what the country is going through,” Rivera told AP. “It’s not an easy job if you take it as personally as I do.”
While Rivera initially claimed it was his decision to leave The Five, he now says that he was fired from the show—and as a result, he’s quitting Fox News entirely.
“I got fired from @TheFive so I quit Fox,” Rivera wrote on Twitter on June 29. “After 23 years tomorrow Fox and Friends could be my last appearance on the network. Thanks for the memories.”
In the accompanying video, Rivera said that he would have more to say on Fox & Friends, which premiered this morning. During his final episode, he reiterated that he was fired from The Five, leading him to “resign totally” from the network. According to AP, Rivera had a contract with the network to be “correspondent at large” until Jan. 2025.
In a statement to Best Life, a spokesperson for Fox News said the network was “looking forward to celebrating” Rivera during his final appearance and that they had “reached an amicable conclusion with Geraldo over the past few weeks.”
Initially, when Rivera told AP he was leaving by choice, he said Fox Management “didn’t race after me to say, ‘Geraldo, please come back.'”
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On the June 30 episode of Fox & Friends, there was a 15-minute segment dedicated to celebrating Rivera. The farewell segment was dominated by praise, including tributes from several members of Fox News.
After watching a highlight reel of his career, Rivera said, “I have such affection for the people in this building, I really do.” The journalist later added that he wasn’t expecting the celebration the network organized and that he will “always remember this morning.”
While the network contends that the separation was civil—and Rivera expressed his gratitude and said he “loves Fox” during the farewell segment, there were also some underlying issues. Per AP, Rivera said he’s been suspended a few times.
His most recent suspension was in May. After Carlson was fired by Fox, Rivera tweeted about Carlson’s theories on the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Gutfeld then responded, sarcastically calling Rivera a “class act” and “a real man of the people,” AP reported.
Variety also reported that Rivera’s appearances on The Five have been “more combative,” again citing his apparent clash with Gutfeld.