Joan Rivers

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rivers in March 2010

Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was a comedian, talk show host, businesswoman, and celebrity. She was known for her tough manner and loud voice with a heavy New York accent. She was the National Chairwoman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was a board member of God's Love We Deliver.[1] She won an Emmy Award in 1990.

Personal life[change | change source]

Rivers was born in Brooklyn, New York City. She was raised in Larchmore, New York. Rivers studied at Connecticut College and at Barnard College. Similar to how Phyllis Diller career began, Rivers' comedy act was mainly about bad things about herself.

A friend of Nancy and President Ronald Reagan, Rivers attended a state dinner in 1983, and later, at the invitation of Nancy, spoke at luncheon at the 1984 Republican National Convention.[2]

She was married to James Sanger for a few months in 1955 before their marriage was annulled. She was married to Edgar Rosenberg from 1965 until his suicide in 1987. Rivers and Rosenberg had a daughter, Melissa Rivers.

On the morning of August 28, 2014, Rivers was rushed to the hospital after suffering from cardiac arrest during surgery on her throat in New York City.[3] She was put on life support and was in a medically induced coma.[4]

On September 4, 2014, Melissa announced that Rivers had died at the age of 81 from heart failure caused by respiratory and cardiac arrest.[5] Her burial is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

References[change | change source]

  1. Bouncing Back, p. 110
  2. Lavender, Paige (4 September 2014). "Joan Rivers Said Nancy Reagan Helped Her After Her Husband's Suicide". Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
    "Nancy Reagan didn't mine Joan Rivers' off-color jokes". Eugene Register-Guard. Washington Post. 24 August 1984. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
    Gladnick, P.J. (5 September 2014). "Shhhh! Joan Rivers Was a Ronald Reagan Supporter". Newsbusters. Media Research Center. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
    "Joan Rivers Explains in 2012 E! True Hollywood Story Interview Why She's a "Very Good Dinner Guest"—Watch". E!. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
    Taube, Michael (9 September 2014). "Joan Rivers, a rare brand of Republican". Washington Times. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  3. "Joan Rivers reportedly rushed to hospital after she stops breathing". MSN.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  4. "Joan Rivers put on life support, family members stand vigil". New York Daily News.com. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  5. "Joan Rivers dies at age 81". CNN. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-04.

Other websites[change | change source]

Quotations related to Joan Rivers at Wikiquote