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https://www.timesofisrael.com/geraldo-ri...att-lauer/
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Geraldo Rivera backs fired news host Matt Lauer
[color=rgba(27, 27, 27, 0.65098)]Fox News disowns tweets from its commentator, who says news is a 'flirty business' and calls 'Today' host 'a real gentleman'[/color]
By [color=var(--body-font-color)]TOI staffToday, 11:37 am[/color]
![[Image: Geraldo_Rivera_at_White_House_5682334468.jpg]](https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/11/Geraldo_Rivera_at_White_House_5682334468.jpg)
[img=375x0]https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/11/Geraldo_Rivera_at_White_House_5682334468-640x400.jpg[/img]
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera at the White House on May 2, 2011. (CC BY Mark Taylor, Wikimedia Commons)
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera backed fired NBC News host Matt Lauerin 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.”
In his tweets he also mentioned Garrison Keillor, who was fired Wednesday by Minnesota Public Radioover 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.
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.
He added that the topic was too “red hot” to allow for rational discussion at the moment.
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.
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.
Reading all this
The reaction
————
[/url]Deplorable MD![[Image: 1f1fa-1f1f8.svg]](https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f1fa-1f1f8.svg)
@MDDeplorable
Replying to @GeraldoRivera and @MLauer
[url=https://mobile.twitter.com/MDDeplorable/status/936054360655745025/people]
No Geraldo, Matt Lauer is not a “Great guy”. He is a sexual deviant who used his power at the Today Show to harass and assault women who just wanted to keep their jobs. I wonder if your daughter were locked in Matt’s office how you would feel?
9:08 PM · Nov 29, 2017
https://www.timesofisrael.com/geraldo-ri...att-lauer/
=======
Geraldo Rivera backs fired news host Matt Lauer
[color=rgba(27, 27, 27, 0.65098)]Fox News disowns tweets from its commentator, who says news is a 'flirty business' and calls 'Today' host 'a real gentleman'[/color]
By [color=var(--body-font-color)]TOI staffToday, 11:37 am[/color]
[img=375x0]https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/11/Geraldo_Rivera_at_White_House_5682334468-640x400.jpg[/img]
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera at the White House on May 2, 2011. (CC BY Mark Taylor, Wikimedia Commons)
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera backed fired NBC News host Matt Lauerin 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.”
In his tweets he also mentioned Garrison Keillor, who was fired Wednesday by Minnesota Public Radioover 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.
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.
He added that the topic was too “red hot” to allow for rational discussion at the moment.
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.
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.
Reading all this
The reaction
————
[/url]Deplorable MD
@MDDeplorable
Replying to @GeraldoRivera and @MLauer
[url=https://mobile.twitter.com/MDDeplorable/status/936054360655745025/people]
No Geraldo, Matt Lauer is not a “Great guy”. He is a sexual deviant who used his power at the Today Show to harass and assault women who just wanted to keep their jobs. I wonder if your daughter were locked in Matt’s office how you would feel?
9:08 PM · Nov 29, 2017