Geraldo Explains His Semi-Nude Photo -- and It Does Involve Alcohol

Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera explained on his radio show Monday the semi-nude photo he took of himself over the weekend. He said he had just come off doing a "great show" on Fox (his own show) that Saturday night and when he came home, everyone was asleep and there was no one to talk to.

Geraldo Rivera explains semi-nude selfie.

"You just sit around, I had a drink and, you know," he said. "I had taken that picture Saturday morning and I was looking at it, just going through and I said 'You know, I gotta tweet this thing. I look pretty good for a 70-year-old.'"

Rivera continued, "'I think because I'm so old people will cut me some slack, they won't take it too seriously.' And I don't know, I just pushed the trigger."

The tweet containing the photo -- which went viral and has since been deleted -- said, "70 is the new 50 (Erica and the family are going to be so pissed... but at my age...)"

For the past several weeks Rivera has been celebrating his 70th birthday, tweeting from boats and other vacation spots with family and friends.

Rivera also challenged "media critics" who have mocked the photo. "If my pix is so offensive to media critics, why do they keeping flashing the damn thing over&over?" he tweeted Monday. "'Isn't this terrible? Let's see it again.'"

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/GeraldoRivera/status/359489520686739457"]

Follow Eddie Scarry on Twitter.

--

[related]