Bette Midler Receives Apology from Geraldo Rivera Following Alleged Groping Incident
By: Caryn Robbins Dec. 01, 2017
This week, a 1991 video resurfaced in which Tony winner Bette Midler tells Barbara Walters that Geraldo Rivera and his producer groped and drugged her in a bathroom in the early 1970's. (see video) In the interview, Midler tells Walters, "I did not offer myself up on the altar of Geraldo Rivera. He was unseemly. His behavior was unseemly." She adds,"If I had known 20 years later he was going to end up a slimy talk show host, I never would have even let him in the room. I mean, you have no way of knowing that these things are going to come back to haunt you."
Yesterday, the HELLO DOLLY! star took to Twitter to request an apology from Rivera for the incident and today her request was granted.
Geraldo 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.
- Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) December 1, 2017
27 years ago I wrote a tawdry book depicting consensual events in 1973-45 years ago-I've deeply regretted its distasteful & disrespectful tone & have refrained from speaking about it-I'm embarrassed & profoundly sorry to those mentioned-I have & again apologize to anyone offended
- Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) December 1, 2017
Midler won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Hello, Dolly!. She will make her final performance in the role in early January. The actress previously won a Special Tony Award in 1974 and made her Broadway debut in Fiddler on the Roof.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos
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