Dennis RomeroJoan Rivers died today, a spokeswoman for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to L.A. Weekly. She was 81.
Julie Bolcer of the medical examiner's office said that “we will be investigating” the comedian's death, ostensibly because Rivers was such a high-profile celebrity.
See also: Joan Rivers' Fashion Police Pays Peanuts, and Even a Strike Hasn't Changed That
TMZ reported that daughter Melissa Rivers, known for working the red carpet with her mother as the elder Rivers dished out fashion criticism for the E! network, …
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… pulled her mom off life support. Here's part of Melissa Rivers' 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.
Joan Rivers was hospitalized a week ago today after undergoing a throat procedure that ended with her in cardiac arrest.
She was put in intensive care, then on life support, before today's events.
Credit: Joan Rivers by David Shankbone/Flickr
Rivers was a pioneering comedian whose latest project was Fashion Police on E! She was born in 1933 and did stand-up comedy in the 1960s before breaking through via appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
The comedian's production company, responsible for Fashion Police, is based in the L.A. area. Writers for the show went on strike last year over wages and working conditions, but were quickly replaced with others willing to do the work.
In a statement sent to the Weekly and other outlets, the website BlindGossip claimed it was first to report that Rivers would be taken off life support today.
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