Geraldo Rivera - P 2012
Donna Ward/Getty ImagesGeraldo Rivera is incensed about a lawsuit filed against him by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment over commissions.
“Still steaming over money hungry LA agent I never met suing me over contract that Does Not Exist- they are bullies with no shame- they lose,” the Fox News host and radio personality wrote on Twitter Wednesday. The host earlier tweeted: “Greedy rapacious agent I Have Never Met & who never negotiated anything for me is suing me-like Ari from Entourage-Justice will prevail.”
WME Entertainment is suing Rivera and his personal corporation, Maravilla Productions Co., alleging that it had not received commission payment from the Fox News host since 2010.
STORY: WME Sues CNBC Anchor Over Six-Figure Commissions
The agency stated in a New York Supreme Court filing on Tuesday that it renegotiated Rivera’s agreement with Fox News multiple times — in 2005 and in 2009. However, WME said that the host had failed to compensate the agency with 10 percent commission after January 2010.
“Although [Rivera] paid commissions to WME on the Fox News Agreement for a time, the last payment WME received from Defendants was in January 2010,” the complaint stated. “After the Fox News agreement concluded, WME wrote a letter to Defendants demanding payment of the commission balance due. On December 11, 2012, Defendants’ attorney responded stating, among other things, Rivera denies any responsibility for commissions due to WME.”
Geraldo currently hosts the weekend show Geraldo at Large on Fox News channel as well as hosting a syndicated radio show. WME stated that it had represented the host for close to a quarter century.
The agency stated that, “as a direct result of Defendants’ failure and refusal to pay WME for its work, labor and services rendered, WME has been deprived of the fair and reasonable value of the services it provided to Defendants, and has therefore been damaged in an amount according to proof at trial, plus interest at the legal rate.”
Rivera is represented by talent agent Jim Griffin, who left WME in January 2010 and currently works at Paradigm.
WME and Griffin have not responded to requests for comment.
E-mail: Erik.Hayden@THR.com
Twitter: @Erik_Hayden
