Joan Rivers Has Died At 81

Joan Rivers Has Died At 81

By Angie Han/Sept. 4, 2014 12:19 pm EST

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 that her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon.

Her first series lasted only a few episodes, but by 1989 she had another series, The Joan Rivers Show. That one was a bigger success, earning her the Daytime Emmy in 1990. Later in the decade, she made the turn to red-carpet critic, hosting E!’s pre-awards shows with her daughter Melissa.

More recently, she did a stint on the TV Guide Channel, launched her own QVC jewelry line, starred in several more reality series on TV Land and WeTV, and became the subject of her own documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. She enjoyed a busy career up until her death. Since 2010, she had been co-hosting E!’s Fashion Police with Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne, and George Kotsiopoulos. Her last book, Diary of a Mad Diva, was published in July, and she’d been plan to begin a comedy tour this fall.