Geraldo Rivera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geraldo Rivera
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Rivera in 2011
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Gerald Rivera
July 4, 1943 New York City, U.S.
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| Education |
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| Occupation | Journalist, talk show host, writer, attorney |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Organization | Fox News Channel |
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| Children | 5 |
| Family | Craig Rivera (brother) |
Geraldo Rivera (born Gerald Rivera on July 4, 1943) is a well-known American journalist, writer, and TV host. He worked for Fox News Channel for many years, from 2001 to 2023.
He hosted the talk show Geraldo from 1987 to 1998. He also became famous for a live TV special in 1986 called The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Rivera hosted the news show Geraldo at Large and was a co-host on The Five from 2022 to 2023. Since February 2024, he has been a correspondent for NewsNation.
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Early Life and Education
Geraldo Rivera was born in New York City. His mother was Jewish and his father was Puerto Rican and Catholic. He grew up in Brooklyn and West Babylon, New York. His family sometimes faced prejudice. His mother even spelled their last name "Riviera" to try and avoid it.
Rivera went to the State University of New York Maritime College from 1961 to 1963. He was part of the rowing team there. Later, he transferred to the University of Arizona and earned a degree in business in 1965.
After working different jobs, Rivera went to Brooklyn Law School in 1966. He worked for legal groups that helped people in need. He earned his law degree in 1969. His work as a lawyer for a Puerto Rican activist group caught the attention of a TV news director. This led him to become a reporter. The news director wanted a more Latino-sounding name, so Gerald became Geraldo.
Journalism Career
Starting at ABC News
Rivera started as a reporter for WABC-TV in 1970. In 1972, he became nationally known for his reports on the poor treatment of people with disabilities at a school in Staten Island. This work earned him a special award called a Peabody Award.
He also appeared on national ABC shows like 20/20 and Nightline. After musician John Lennon saw Rivera's report on the school, they put on a benefit concert together in 1972.
From 1974 to 1977, Rivera hosted Good Night America, a late-night news show. This show covered important topics of the time. One episode in 1975 showed the famous Zapruder film to a national TV audience for the first time.
Talk Shows and Specials
On April 21, 1986, Rivera hosted a live TV special called The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Millions of people watched as he explored secret vaults believed to belong to the famous gangster Al Capone. However, no treasures were found.
In 1987, Rivera started his own daytime talk show, Geraldo. It ran for 11 years and often featured lively discussions. In one famous episode in 1988, a fight broke out among guests, and Rivera's nose was broken.
From 1994 to 2001, he hosted Rivera Live on CNBC. This was an evening news and interview show. He also made guest appearances on TV shows, playing himself in the Seinfeld finale and My Name Is Earl. He even lent his voice to the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.
Working at Fox News
Rivera joined Fox News in November 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks. He became a war correspondent, reporting from places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2003, while reporting from Iraq, Rivera caused some controversy. He shared details about a military operation on TV, which the military said put the mission at risk. He was then asked to leave Iraq.
In 2015, Rivera competed on The Celebrity Apprentice. He placed second but raised the most money for charity among all the contestants. He also competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2016.
Rivera continued to appear regularly on Fox News. In 2022, he became a rotating co-host on the show The Five. He left Fox News in 2023.
NewsNation Role
In February 2024, Geraldo Rivera joined NewsNation as a correspondent-at-large. This means he reports on a variety of topics for the network.
Personal Life
Geraldo Rivera has been married five times and has five children. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
He is an active sailor and has participated in many sailing races. He even sailed his boat, Voyager, 1,400 miles up the Amazon River and around the world. These adventures were shown in TV specials on The Travel Channel.
Political Views
Rivera is a Republican. He has shared his views on different topics over the years. He supports gay marriage and changes to immigration laws. He also supports some gun control measures. For example, after a school shooting, he questioned why 18-year-olds can buy assault weapons but not beer.
Rivera has expressed strong feelings about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. He has criticized military actions that harm civilians.
In past U.S. presidential elections, Rivera has supported different candidates. He supported Barack Obama in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Even though he is friends with Donald Trump, he did not vote for him in 2016. In 2024, he announced he would vote for Kamala Harris.
Rivera has considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey and Ohio, but he decided not to run both times.
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