Joan Rivers Passes Away at Age 81

Comedienne Joan Rivers passed away earlier
today at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, after
going into cardiac arrest following a medical
procedure. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers ,
confirmed her mother's death with the following
statement.
"She passed peacefully at 1:17 PM surrounded
by family and close friends. My son and I would
like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of
Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they
provided for my mother. Cooper and I have
found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of
love, support, and prayers we have received
from around the world. They have been heard
and appreciated. My mother's greatest joy in life
was to make people laugh. Although that is
difficult to do right now, I know her final wish
would be that we return to laughing soon."
Last Thursday, Joan Rivers underwent a minor
endoscopic procedure to check her vocal chords,
when she went into cardiac arrest at an Upper
East Side New York clinic. She was then rushed
to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was put into
a medically-induced coma. The actress and
comedian was moved from the intensive care
unit to a private room yesterday.
Joan Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky
on June 8, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. After
graduating with a degree in English and social
anthropology from Connecticut College for
Women and Barnard, she became a fashion
coordinator for a retail clothing chain, before
laying the groundwork for her comedy career,
playing clubs in Greenwich Village and the
Catskills. She rose to prominence as a
comedian with an edgy brand of humor in the
1960s, working as a writer for Candid Camera
while also writing jokes for top comics such as
Phyllis Diller , Bob Newhart and Zsa Zsa Gabor .
Her appearances on The Tonight Show Starring
Johnny Carson helped launch her career, as she
was named permanent replacement host for
Johnny Carson . She also recorded a number of
comedy albums while making appearances in a
handful of movies such as The Swimmer and
Rabbit Test , which she also wrote and directed.
A setback in her career came with The Late
Show with Joan Rivers , which the fledgling Fox
network launched in 1987. The show effectively
put an end to her friendship with Johnny
Carson , and it was cancelled shortly thereafter.
She became a fixture on the E! Network in the
mid-1990s, covering red carpet events with her
daughter Melissa Rivers , which lead to her
hosting Fashion Police on E! after a brief stint at
TV Guide. Joan Rivers is survived by her
daughter and grandson, Cooper.