Geraldo Rivera is said to have MS (multiple sclerosis), a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), because he was seen using a cane while walking. However, there is no evidence to support these conjectures.
Geraldo Rivera is an award-winning American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator on the Fox News Channel. He gained notoriety with the live 1986 TV special The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults. Recently, there have been a lot of talks about a possible health issue he has been battling, but the details remain unclear. What disease does Geraldo Rivera have, if any?
Does Geraldo Rivera have a Disease?
The answer to this question is an emphatic No! Geraldo Rivera does not have any disease, at least none that is known to the general public. However, in recent years there have been rumors and speculation about Geraldo Rivera’s health, with some sources suggesting that he may be suffering from a severe medical condition known as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
The rumors of Geraldo Rivera having MS emanated after the political commentator was spotted by fans walking around with a cane. Geraldo has never come clean about the actual reasons why he uses a cane. However, he made an indication that it may be due to a bad medical procedure he underwent close to a decade ago.
Overall, the question of whether Geraldo Rivera has a disease or not still remains up in the air. Given the lack of concrete evidence to support any of the suggested conditions, it is impossible to definitively state whether the news anchor and television personality is suffering from any kind of health condition.
While there have been numerous reports of Rivera suffering from various ailments in the past, there is still no definitive answer or evidence that he actually has a disease. Nevertheless, it is clear that Rivera is in good health overall, and it does not seem as though his reported illnesses have been having too severe an effect on his professional life.
What Happened to Geraldo Rivera’s Foot?
Geraldo Rivera announced that his foot was damaged during a back surgery he had some years ago. He made the announcement to his fans and followers on Twitter. The American journalist underwent back surgery in the year 2010 at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. The exact back surgery he had was never revealed. However, HSS is known to specialize in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions.
After making the big announcement, Geraldo gave his almost 50,000 followers on Twitter a play-by-play of before and after photos of his lumpy foot, which he claims was marred as a result of the back surgery that he had at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York that was performed incorrectly.
Although the back surgery was a success, Geraldo Rivera found himself in a rather strange predicament when he left the hospital with a damaged foot following the success of the back surgery. Since the incident, Rivera has shared countless photos of his foot and has continued to blame the hospital for the injury. Rivera is a controversial American journalist that has been at the center of numerous headlines over the years.
On the one hand, Rivera has been praised numerous times for being an ardent self-promoter that has made his aspirations clear in the industry and has done a tremendous job in his journalistic work. On the other hand, he has been widely criticized for his extremely biased sense of news telling and numerous controversial stories that he has used to gain attention.
Rivera Sued The Hospital That Treated His Foot For Malpractice
According to multiple sources, the 80-year-old author decided to sue the hospital for malpractice during the surgery that caused his foot not to function correctly. Although it’s not exactly clear what happened or how damaged the foot was, according to his Twitter post, Rivera claimed that he was not able to play tennis, ski, jog, or even keep up with his 10-year-old daughter.
The lawsuit was filed in the state of New York. However, the hospital vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the case. In its defense, HSS and its legal department refuted the claims of Rivera, with the hospital’s lawyer claiming Rivera injured himself in his recovery room by kicking the door of a refrigerator.
Reports have it that Rivera attempted to settle the malpractice lawsuit between himself and the Hospital for Special Surgery out of court. And according to his post on Twitter, he promised that any settlement he got from the lawsuit would 100 percent be donated to charity. Geraldo Rivera still walks with a cane because of his foot problems. He is seen traveling on a yacht at sea because he no longer needs bed rest.
Moreover, he was on vacation with his family when he uploaded a picture with his sons and grandson. Rivera hosted the news magazine program Geraldo at Large and hosted the occasional broadcast of Geraldo Rivera Reports (in lieu of hosting At Large). Rivera served as a rotating co-host of The Five from 2022–2023.
He Had Another Special Surgery to Correct The Damaged Foot
In 2013, 3 years after his alleged back surgery that went wrong, Rivera underwent another special surgery to correct his damaged toes. On New Year’s Eve, Rivera tweeted, “Getting ready for surgery on foot ruined by [Hospital for Special Surgery].” He also made sure to keep his over 370k Twitter followers abreast of the situation by sharing photos of himself after the surgery was done.
Heading home! Thanks Mt. Sinai Hospital. No thx Hospital for Special Surgery for botched original job-Happy New Year pic.twitter.com/TdXz8JeJae
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) December 31, 2013
The surgery to correct the damaged foot was carried out at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. According to the photo he posted on his Twitter page, Rivera is seen on crutches getting into a car with the caption: “Heading home! Thanks, Mt. Sinai Hospital. No thxx Hospital for Special Surgery for the botched original job.”
After the procedure, the public was fortunate enough to receive another update: “Patient is in reasonably good spirits despite hair riot,” along with a photo of himself demonstrating how accurate his tweet was. He also tweeted a picture of himself sporting a foot brace and said, “On the mend,” later in the day.
Geraldo may have a flair for the theatrical, but foot surgery is a serious treatment that, if done improperly, can render you permanently unable. A botched foot, toe, or ankle procedure can result in many issues and may necessitate additional surgeries in the future, much as Geraldo alleges his back surgery went wrong.