Joan Rivers was a woman of many talents. She was a renowned comedian, an award-winning TV host, a fashion icon and critic, and the brains behind a multi-million dollar jewelry and clothing business. Rivers might have been loved by many, but she once hit rock bottom with immense debt, but she brushed herself up and returned even stronger.
Joan Rivers was an award-winning comedian and television host known for not being blunt and not being afraid to say anything controversial.
Rivers had some of the most memorable moments on television; one interview with Betty White had her guests in utmost laughter.
Joan Rivers on "The Tonight Show" in 1980. | Source: Getty Images
The two women kept their segment interesting while making jokes about each other's lives; White spoke about her new show "Just Men!" and joked about being around many men while single and old.
On the contrary, Rivers joked about her married life and some of the mundane parts of it. Nonetheless, fans could not stop laughing at the women's ability to turn their realities into humor.
However, Rivers did not only keep it real in front of an audience but also when it came to her family. At her daughter Melissa's wedding, she tried to hold back tears and still managed to be funny, but she advised her to stick with her husband, trust no one but him, and told them to be a team no matter the situation.
Joan Rivers in New York in 2004. | Source: Getty Images
When it came to her in-laws, Rivers said the only way to have a happy relationship with them was to treat them like her best clients.
Rivers gave her daughter these wise words speaking from experience; she and her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, had a happy marriage before its tragic end.
Just like the closeness she advised her daughter about, Rivers saw her and her husband as two perfectly fitting puzzles. However, the comedian faced one of the most painful premature deaths when her husband died in his hotel room due to a Valium overdose.
Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg in Los Angeles in 1987 | Source: Getty Images
Rivers had spoken to him the day before he died. Rosenburg told her he had finished his business and promised to be home the next day.
But Rivers never got to see her husband make it home; instead, at 11:45 a.m., he was still in Los Angeles and had been pronounced dead.
The loss hit hard for both Rivers and Melissa. The comedian had just lost her life partner and had to deal with the pain of her daughter blaming her for her father's death.
Joan and Melissa Rivers in New York in 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Rivers found herself in the most harrowing situation of her life. Besides her crumbling relationship with her daughter, she had also lost everything and drowned in debt.
As a woman in the entertainment industry, it was not easy to pick herself up and show face again, but Rivers did not let her pain define the trajectory of her life.
She gained the courage and came back even stronger. Rivers did not only reach higher career strides as a comedian but as a businesswoman as well.
Joan Rivers, her husband Edgar Rosenberg and their daughter Melissa photographed in 1986. | Source: Getty Images
The television host built a multi-million dollar business designing jewelry and clothes, published several books, and became a successful radio host.
Her hard work earned her a Grammy and a Tony award; Rivers even became one of the most loved reality TV personalities and a fashion icon.
Some viewers might not have loved her jokes on "Fashion Police," but her voice made the red carpet the most anticipated and loved part of celebrity fashion.
Joan Rivers in New York in 2014. | Source: Getty Images
Rivers and her daughter also became closer than ever. The comedian shared that one of the moments she will never forget was when she told Melissa she was not adopted. That was one of the few times the mother and daughter cried together.
However, Rivers had a few legendary quotes on motherhood. One of them advised women never to tell their children they had an easy birth. The comedian said, "for years, I used to wake up my daughter and say, 'Melissa, you ripped me to shreds. Now go back to sleep.'"
Joan and Melissa Rivers in Hollywood in 2005. | Source: Getty Images
The two were inseparable and called each other every day. Even when one of them would call with a new number, their instincts would guide them. Rivers died in 2014 at 81 years old. She passed at the peak of her fame and left a legacy that will never be forgotten.
Memorable Pieces of Advice That Joan Rivers Passed On to Her Daughter
Melissa remembered that her mother always encouraged her to be confident. When she got older, Rivers motivated her to embrace her body. She told her to let the cleavage out, shorten her skirt, elongate those legs with a pair of heels, and show it all off why she was still young.
Joan and Melissa Rivers in Los Angeles in 2008. | Source: Getty Images
Rivers was one the most appreciated comedians of her time, and Melissa revealed that she loved to record and save all her material.
So, fans were elated when Melissa announced that Rivers' team was planning to release a special of her compiled tapes that never saw the light. Melissa expressed how grateful she was to have a memory of her mother that will continue to live for her and her fans.
One of the integral pieces of advice that Melissa got from her mother and wished she would have listened to was to freeze her eggs in her 30s. She confessed that she immediately rejected what her mother said but now regrets it because she had strong feelings about having another child.
Melissa River in New York in 2017. | Source: Getty Images
Melissa might not have been ready to have children in her earlier years, and while she pondered on the idea, Rivers told her to have her eggs frozen, but she let that opportunity pass.
Nonetheless, Melissa had a son with John Endicott, Edgar Cooper Endicott, named after her late father. The actress was married to Endicott for five years, and they have joint custody of their son after their divorce.
Rivers got to experience her role as a grandmother before she passed. She had an interview with Hell a Life and opened up about life with her grandson.
The reality show personality said Edgar had her humor, which was one of the reasons behind their strong connection. Rivers immediately noticed her grandson's comedic side when he would understand her jokes and make his own.
At just a year and a half, Rivers was amazed at how funny her grandson was. As much as she loved their funny times together, the comedian said she spent most of her days telling Edgar to shut up. "Leave grandma alone; she's reading," reiterated Rivers.
However, besides being funny, Rivers gained more grandma points when she starred in "Shrek 2". She said her grandson was very thrilled about her being in the movie.
As someone as glamorous as Rivers, people wondered what her grandson called her, and amusingly she revealed that he either referred to her as Nana New Face or Grammy.
Rivers said she was not the kind of grandmother who disciplined her grandson and forced him to eat his vegetables. She left the hard work for her daughter and was glad to do the spoiling instead.
Even though she credited Edgar for being an entertainer, Rivers did not want her grandson to follow in her footsteps because she thought the industry was brutal.
The fashion icon would be proud to see her grandson become one of those busy, successful men on Wall Street. "Go be a Bernie Madoff. I'm so proud," joked Rivers.
Rivers also did her best to back off when it came to how Melissa decided to raise her son. She did not give her daughter any advice on motherhood but chose to shower her with approval and love.
Melissa is still questioned about some of her mother's blunt fashion critics. However, her co-hosts did not mind and Melissa made it clear that it was a comedy and even said her mother was right to question some of the red-carpet looks.
Nonetheless, Melissa is grateful to see parts of her mother in her son. Rivers' charismatic character will continue to live on in Edgar, in addition to all the tapes she left behind.
Melissa Rivers Hopes to Adopt a Child at 55
Melissa was on "Jeff Lewis Live" and revealed that she was in a new relationship; however, the actress did not want to give away too many details.
But Lewis unexpectedly gave out more information about Melissa's new boyfriend. He said he liked that he was age-appropriate and successful. He also revealed that they had been seeing each other for three months.
Lewis eventually apologized for saying that much about her relationship, but Melissa confirmed that she was happy and in love.
Melissa also confessed that she would like to have a second child, and since she had not frozen her eggs, she expressed how difficult the adoption process had been. But she was empowered knowing she did not need a husband to have another child.
However, now that she's 55 years old, the actress gave the idea of a second baby deeper thought. Melissa felt like having a child her age would not have been fair to her future child; even though she believed she would have worked through the rigorous adoption process she did not want to do it without the certainty of giving them the best life.
The actress's new perspective made her realize that her decision to have more children would be more selfish. Her son is a college student. Melissa shared a cute picture of her spending quality time with Edgar while he was home for the holidays.
One thing Melissa is trying to implement with her son is open communication, especially about mental health. The actress said she is very honest with her son about the importance of a strong mental state and spoke openly about her father's death.
Now, as the suicide rates rise amongst young people, Melissa believes it is vital to have candid conversations about mental health and to constantly check in with her son.
As her son grows into a young man, he has also started showing resemblances to his grandmother. He old was introduced to the world of reality shows in "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?" and fans admired how close the family was.
While Edgar was still young when he appeared on his grandmother's reality TV show, fans loved how Melissa had raised a charming and respectful boy.
As he has gotten older and Melissa has built a successful career as an actress and TV show host, one of her mother's close friends, Magie Stern, commended her for the life she had built.
Stern assured Melissa that her mother would have been extremely proud of her because she had achieved everything Rivers would have wanted for her.
Stern was there in her friend's final moments; she recalled how Melissa had taken good care of her mother and worked hard to ensure the room was filled with beautiful flowers.
But as the beauty queen Rivers was, her family also made certain that she looked as pretty as ever in her final moments. Rivers got her wish and died feeling beautiful, surrounded by her family and many flowers.
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