Legendary comedian Joan Rivers has tragically passed away at the age of 81, it has been confirmed via NBC News, following minor throat surgery last week that somehow went horribly wrong. Just earlier today it was reported that she had been moved out of intensive care, although remaining sedated — so for the first time since the news broke last week it finally seemed like she was out of the woods. I feel like Joan would want us to make a joke at her expense, but either way you look at it this is really sad news.
Rivers was undergoing surgery on her vocal cords at a clinic in New York City on Aug. 28 when she stopped breathing and had to be transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. Melissa Rivers and Joan Rivers’ 13-year-old grandson, Cooper, who live in Malibu, California, rushed to her bedside.
Her daughter Melissa River has issued the following statement:
CNN has already aired a “best of” tribute, which they understandably had ready to go, given her condition over the past week.
Joan Rivers hadn’t won too many popularity contests in the later years of her life, with her sometimes crazy and erratic behavior, understandably — but I’d like to remember her like this, in this candid, “playing herself” clip from Louie, which I think was one of the rare moments you actually got to see the woman behind the curtain.
So long, you crazy old bitch. You were a revolutionary, and you’ll be missed by a lot of people.