Comedy legend Joan Rivers has passed away at age 81 after being put on life support and into a medically induced coma earlier this week. She was rushed to the hospital on August 28th when she had stopped breathing. Her daughter released this statement today after making the difficult decision to take her mother off life support.
Rivers was known for her crass humor, something considered especially taboo as a woman. She began her career as a stand-up comedian in New York’s Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, working her way up to appearances on The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and Hollywood Squares.
Throughout the 1980s, she would frequently fill in for Johnny Carson when he was unable to host The Tonight Show.
She also released a best-selling comedy album in 1983 titled, “What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most?” which reached #22 in the Billboard Top 200 charts and earned her a Grammy nomination. That same year, she became the first female comedian to perform at Carnegie Hall.
In 1994, she and daughter Melissa hosted their first red carpet pre-show for E! Entertainment Television’s Golden Globes coverage and she became infamous for her hilariously crude and often mocking interactions with the big name celebrities.
The duo continued to work award shows together for years. In more recent appearances, Rivers was the subject of the 2009 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and made an unforgettable guest appearance on the FX show Louie in 2011. She also began hosting a podcast in 2013 titled In Bed with Joan where, as the title suggests, she would interview celebrities from her bed.
Her impact on the comedy and entertainment world will not be soon forgotten.
