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Perhaps only Geraldo Rivera — both an accomplished showman and a journalist — could have turned his departure from Fox News into a gripping week-long drama.
Rivera, who joined Fox News as a war correspondent in 2001 after a colorful and at times controversial television hosting career, announced last week that he would soon be leaving the 5 p.m. panel show The Five, on which he was a regular. “It was his decision,” he told the Associated Press.
And yet at the time he left open the possibility that he would remain loyal to Fox as a correspondent and make occasional guest appearances. When he posted shirtless photos Last week, he let his Twitter followers know he was “considering retirement,” and began teasing the day he would announce his decision: Friday June 30.
“I’m unsure of my next career move and will be announcing next Friday here on Twitter and live on @TheFive whether I’ll stay with Fox or do something else with your support,” he wrote on June 23.
Rivera had announced that Thursday and Friday would be his final two appearances on The Five. It seemed like they were looking at an appointment. But Rivera’s plan for a big reveal was apparently changed during a high-speed boat ride.
Early Thursday afternoon, Rivera, wearing a baseball cap that read “Geraldo,” posted an upbeat video diary from a ship heading for lower Manhattan just hours before it aired. “I’m back in my happy place!” he declared with a big grin. “Hopefully I’ll have more time to do more of this.”
But when a second boat video was broadcast two hours later, things seemed to change.
“It doesn’t look like I’ll be on ‘The Five,'” he said with subdued natural exuberance. “I mean, I’m not going to be on ‘The Five,’ I got fired from ‘The Five.'” He went on to explain that he decided to “leave” Fox News after being removed from the panel show.
Instead, he announced a Friday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, which he says could be his last for the network in 22 years.
But would he? After spending a week telling his own story about his status at Fox News, it seemed legitimate to wonder.
But after remaining silent on Rivera for the past week, Fox News finally released a statement on Thursday night confirming that Rivera was leaving the network — “an amicable conclusion,” the statement said — and that Fox had agreed to do so “Celebrating” would be a final appearance on the morning show.
Even as he expressed his love for Fox in a Twitter video filmed next to a swimming pool at Hampton’s last week, Rivera was clearly frustrated by the tone of the show’s discussions. Although Rivera’s on-air value was based on his heated and passionate on-air conflicts with colleagues, the nature of his disagreements with permanent co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Jeanine Pirro seemed to have become particularly bitter, and he began appearing less frequently.
“There’s a growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences and personal anger and complaints,” he told an interviewer last week. “It’s not worth it to me.”
Another left-leaning commentator, Juan Williams, also left The Five after a bitter clash with its mostly conservative panellists, although he has remained with the station as a commentator.
But it was just smiles and fond memories of Friday morning when Rivera performed on Fox & Friends.
“There’s no denying that he’s a TV legend,” said Fox host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
With balloons adorning the set and a backdrop that reads “Celebrating Geraldo” adorned with a large gray mustache, Rivera made no bones about the nature of his farewell. “I got fired from The Five, so then I said I might as well resign altogether, and I quit, and today is my last day,” he said.
But he added, “I want to go home and think about how wonderful everyone has been to me over the past 23 years.”
From 2020: How Geraldo Rivera, the sensational actor of ’80s television, became the voice of voting sanity on Fox News
When he first joined Fox News from CNBC in 2001, years after starting out as a maniacal investigative reporter for ABC’s 20/20, Rivera said some wondered if his liberal leanings would work at the right-wing network. “But it worked,” he said. “Everyone was open-minded and open-hearted. I’ve been treated like family here and I hope that’s reciprocated.”
“Have a Kleenex ready,” co-host Steve Doocy told him while playing a career highlight. The video covered all the highs and many lows – including, of course, the much-hyped 1986 special when he broke into a gangster Al Capone’s vault on live TV and it turned out to be empty.
Over the years, Rivera has developed a sense of humor about one of the biggest busts in television history. Last week, a Twitter user told Rivera that his departure from The Five “will give you more time to explore empty vaults again!”
“Hilarious, thanks for your support,” Rivera replied. (Another Twitter user, who was less sympathetic, instructed Rivera to “lock herself in Capone’s vault.”)
Sean Hannity, Pirro, Bret Baier and Jesse Watters were among the Fox personalities who recorded videos wishing Rivera well, though Gutfeld was clearly absent.
“I can’t imagine this place without you,” Hannity said. Watters referred to their on-air clashes on “The Five” as “tournaments,” which he says “was a privilege,” adding, “Geraldo, you wild animal, I love you.” …You kicked down doors. You kicked people in the chest. And it’s an honor to follow in your footsteps.”
After the risqué videos ended, the “Fox & Friends” co-hosts donned fake mustaches in honor of Rivera. He acknowledged how unusual the long goodbye was, which Doocy echoed, saying that “nobody was ever given 20 minutes.”
In a text message to the Washington Post after the show ended, Rivera described the treatment he received as “a nice send-off” with no discernible bitterness.
So, other boating videos aside, what’s next for Rivera, who turns 80 next week? Could there be another chapter in his long and checkered career? He appeared to have hinted at it on Twitter last week.
“I feel the need to speak up while some people want to listen,” he wrote. And one of his former colleagues hopes so.
“Obviously I hope he stays on TV,” former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, now at Newsmax, told The Post. “We need many voices, many opinions and a strong debate. Geraldo is passionate but never malicious.”
Rivera texted the Post that he’s “not actively looking for a job, although if anything interesting comes up, [he] would look at it.”
But Rivera made it clear he wouldn’t be back on Fox, even as a guest. “Nothing Fox related,” he added in his message. “The chapter is closed. I will never set foot in this building again.”
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