Geraldo Apologizes to Bette Midler for Alleged 1970s Incident

Bette Midler (L) and Geraldo Rivera. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Michael Kors (L) and Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Geraldo Rivera, the longtime reporter and TV host, apologized to actress and singer Bette Midler after a video resurfaced in which she claimed that he groped her during an encounter in the 1970s.

Rivera tweeted: “Although I recall the time @BetteMidler has alluded to much differently than she, that does not change the fact that she has a right to speak out & demand an apology from me, for in the very least, publically embarrassing her all those years ago.”

“Bette, I apologize,” he said.

Midler, 71, said that Rivera, 74, groped her after he and his producer forcibly “pushed” her into her bathroom and “broke two poppers and pushed them under my nose,” referring to the recreational drug alkyl nitrite.

Midler shared a video of the accusation she made in a 1991 interview with Barbara Walters, with the comment: “Tomorrow is my birthday. I feel like this video was a gift from the universe to me. Geraldo may have apologized for his tweets supporting Matt Lauer, but he has yet to apologize for this. #MeToo.”

The video resurfaced after Rivera made remarks essentially defending former “Today” host Matt Lauer, who was fired by NBC this week after he was accused of inappropriate sexual conduct. Rivera responded to the firing with the Twitter comment “news is a flirty business.” He later apologized for his remarks.

In his book “Exposing Myself,” which he said Dec. 1 he regretted writing, he recounted the incident with Midler as follows:

“We were in the bathroom, preparing for the interview, and at some point I put my hands on her breasts,” according to a book review by The Washington Post.

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