Geraldo Rivera Drops Bombshell: ‘Toxic’ Feud with Fox News Co-Host Led to His Exit

Veteran journalist Geraldo Rivera has broken his silence on his dramatic exit from Fox News, revealing that a “very toxic relationship” with a male co-host on The Five played a major role in his departure.

Speaking on The View in his first post-Fox appearance, Rivera, 80, stopped short of naming his adversary but hinted that he was repeatedly sidelined by Fox executives who always “favored” his rival in their heated on-air clashes.

Rivera, a well-known liberal voice on the conservative network, frequently sparred with Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld—both of whom are now prime suspects in the brewing controversy.

A Toxic Work Environment and Mysterious Suspensions

Rivera claimed that he was suspended from The Five three times before being gradually phased out.

“I thought it was very unfair that I wasn’t judged objectively in our disputes,” he said. “But rather, he was always favored, and I was the one suspended.”

According to Rivera, his scheduled appearances on The Five started dwindling from multiple times a week to bi-weekly, then monthly, before disappearing altogether.

“They were canceled at the last minute, right before I was supposed to go on,” he said, adding that the unexplained absences “really ticked me off.”

When pressed by The View co-host Joy Behar on whether the feuding colleague was a man, Rivera confirmed, “It’s a guy. It’s not Jeanine [Pirro]—I love Jeanine.”

Despite speculation that Greg Gutfeld was the unnamed co-host, Rivera refused to confirm. “I may get there,” he teased, leaving internet sleuths to piece the puzzle together.

Taking Aim at Tucker Carlson and Fox News’ ‘Moral Crisis’

Rivera didn’t hold back when discussing former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, declaring that he would “never forgive” Carlson for his coverage of the January 6 insurrection.

“Fox had a moral crisis after the election,” Rivera said, blaming the network’s coverage of the 2020 election and the Capitol riot for his eventual departure.

He described Carlson as “charismatic” and an “excellent writer” but accused him of pushing dangerous “conspiracy theories” about January 6.

Following Carlson’s abrupt firing in April, Rivera didn’t mince words on X (formerly Twitter):

“Tucker Carlson’s perverse January 6 conspiracy theory was bulls**t. Having lost the election, President Trump incited an insurrection that sought to undermine our Constitutional process.”

Rivera had long criticized Carlson’s portrayal of the Capitol riot as a mere “political protest that got out of hand,” calling it “inflammatory, outrageous, and uncorroborated.”

Fox News Exit: ‘My Ideology Doesn’t Fit’

Rivera revealed that Fox News executives called him weeks ago to inform him that he was being removed from The Five but could potentially stay with the network in another capacity.

His response? “If you’re firing me from the top-rated show, I’m quitting.”

He admitted that in hindsight, he should have left Fox News in 2011, after the death of Osama Bin Laden—the very reason he originally joined the network.

Rivera also addressed Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House, oscillating between personal admiration and deep political opposition.

While he recalled a time when Trump was a charismatic New York socialite, he vowed to devote the rest of his journalistic career to ensuring he never gets re-elected.

“He lost the election and became a crazy guy,” Rivera said bluntly.

An End of an Era

Rivera, who had signed a multi-year deal with Fox in 2021, officially bid farewell to the network just days after his 80th birthday.

In his final appearance on Fox & Friends, he was shown a tribute montage of his decades-long career, which he described as “deeply touching.”

“It has been an infinite adventure, taking me to the four corners of the world,” he said emotionally. “I have such affection for the people in this building. I really do.”

Fox News later released a statement confirming Rivera’s exit, calling it an “amicable conclusion.”

Despite the official pleasantries, Rivera’s revelations suggest that behind the scenes, his departure was anything but friendly.

With tensions still running high, all eyes remain on The Five—and its co-hosts—to see who fires back next.