Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera's son, Gabriel, is reportedly ashamed his father made a controversial statement about Trayvon Martin on Friday. Reuters

Geraldo Rivera's son, Gabriel, is reportedly ashamed his father made a controversial statement about Trayvon Martin on Friday.

Gabriel broke my heart, said Rivera, according to Politico. He's my oldest, 32, and he just told me that for the first time in his life he's ashamed of what I wrote on [Fox News Latino], Rivera said in an email.

Friday morning, Rivera said on Fox News's morning program, Fox and Friends, that he believed the fact that Martin wore a hoodie contributed to his death.

I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies, the Fox News host said. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was.

Rivera also mentioned his younger son, 24-year-old Cruz. He said he had previously warned his son about wearing hoodies out in public.

When you see a kid walking down the street, particularly a dark-skinned kid like my son Cruz, who I constantly yelled at when he was going out wearing a damn hoodie or those pants around his ankles, he said, before penning an article that appeared on the Fox News Latino website soon after.

The Fox News host and contributor then wrote an article about the subject on Fox News Latino. However, it was removed following backlash, reported Politico.

On Twitter, Rivera continued to express his opinion regarding the situation.

Trayvon killed by a jerk w a gun but black & Latino parents have to drill into kids heads: a hoodie is like a sign: shoot or stop & frisk me, said Rivera on his Twitter account. His hoodie killed Trayvon Martin as surely as George Zimmerman.

Its not blaming the victim Its common sense-look like a gangsta&some armed schmuck will take you at your word

Its sad that I have to be the one reminding minority parents of the risk that comes with being a kid of color in America--channel the rage

However, after several Tweets defending his position, he also mentioned his son, Gabriel, had spoken to him, saying he was ashamed.

My own son just wrote to say he's ashamed of my position re hoodies-still I feel parents must do whatever they can to keep their kids safe, wrote Rivera.

When questioned about the situation by Politico, he stood firm with his position.

I wrote him, and I'm telling you that my mission is to save kids' lives in the real world, he said in an email, according to Politico. We can bluster and posture all day long about the injustice of it all, but despite what Roland Martin or even my son Gabriel Miguel Rivera says, every hoodie should come with a warning like cigarettes, 'caution wearing this could get you killed.'

His son wrote back, but unfortunately did not discuss his father's opinion.

Gabriel wrote back to say I've gone viral for all the wrong reasons, Rivera wrote in another email.