stumbleupon More StatsView More About Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky, better known by her professional name Joan Rivers has an estimated net worth of $150 million. Rivers is an American television personality, comedian, writer, film director, and actress. As a young adult she studied anthropology at Connecticut College and held down low paying jobs from working as a tour guide instructor and sales consultant for a department store. Rivers is known for funny and highly controversial humor. From the start her first role was daring, as she played the role of a lesbian lover to Barbara Streisand, in a a short-run play, Driftwood. Later in the 60’s she focused on stand-up comedy. Her first television appearance was on the Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar. Before long, she was hosting the show along with Saturday Night Live and the Ed Sullivan Show. She has since gone on to own and host her own television talk shows. Rivers has written several books, and acted in several movies and television shows, she is currently starring in her online talk show In Bed with Joan.

Earnings & Financial Data The below financial data is gathered and compiled by TheRichest analysts team to give you a better understanding of Joan Rivers's net worth by breaking down the most relevant financial events such as yearly salaries, contracts, earn outs, endorsements, stock ownership and much more. ? Joan Alexandra Rosenberg (Molinsky) (1933 - 2014) - Genealogy stepmother About Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (born June 8, 1933), better known by her stage name Joan Rivers, is an American television personality, comedian, writer, film director, and actress. She is known for her ribald, depreciative style. Rivers' comic style relies heavily on her ability to poke fun at herself and other Hollywood celebrities. Her long career spanning 5 decades has led to her becoming known as a comedy legend and icon, often being referred to as 'The Queen Of Comedy'.

5 Things You Never Knew About Joan Rivers - ABC News ABC News 5 Things You Never Knew About Joan Rivers By Lesley Messer Sep 4, 2014, 3:09 PM ET 0 Shares WATCH Joan Rivers, Comedic Legend, Dead at 81 0 Shares Email Joan Rivers was a remarkable comedian, known for her acerbic wit and blunt honesty. Many saw her stand-up routines or watched her E! TV show, "Fashion Police," but Rivers, who died Sept. 4. at 81, was a complicated, vivacious woman with a storied past. Here are a few things about her that casual fans may not have known. Joan Rivers Dead at 81 1. Joan Rivers Was Not Her Given Name: The comedian was born Joan Molinsky, but at the behest of her agent, Tony Rivers, she adopted a stage name. On a whim, she chose "Joan Rivers," just because it felt right. "Having a stage name made it easier to perform in those raunchy nightclubs," she told the Evening News newspaper in 1986.

"Joan Rivers was like a party dress I put on, so in those early days, she was only the tiniest part of me and Joan Molinsky was still frightened and confused and bewildered in her life." SLIDESHOW: A Look Back at the Life of Joan Rivers 2. Bill Cosby Was Responsible for Her Big Break: At first, Rivers became famous for being a guest host on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show." "The night before I went on Carson, a comic bombed and Bill Cosby -- who was white hot at that moment -- he had seen me in the Village and he said to them, 'You might as well use Joan. She can’t be any worse than the guy you had on last night!'" she told Entertainment Weekly . "I was brought on in the last 10 minutes of the show -- the worst slot. And God bless Johnny Carson, he said right there on the air, 'You’re going to be a big star.'" He was right. 3. She Was Open About Everything, Even Plastic Surgery: "I just hosted the Miss USA Pageant and, let me tell you, beautiful gets you everywhere. The New York Times had an article maybe six months ago: Babies respond to pretty faces.

So stop telling everyone it’s OK not to be pretty! If you can fix it, fix it!" she told Entertainment Weekly in 2010. "If it makes you happier. I love to look in the mirror and say, 'For 77, you look good.' That’s all. I don’t care what anyone says. Not bad for 77." However, it wasn't always easy. In a clip from her reality TV series with her daughter, Melissa, Rivers was captured by cameras crying before going into surgery. "Oh God, what a s***** business this is," she said. "You have to look good." 4. She Had a Big Social Circle: The one regret Rivers had about the 2012 documentary made about her, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," was that it included a mean statement she made about fellow comedian Kathy Griffin. "She’s my best friend. I adore Kathy," Rivers told EW . "I wish they had made my love of her stronger." Rivers also talked about a friendship with Barbara Walters and Nancy Reagan. 5. She Was a Huge Animal Lover: After her husband committed suicide in 1987, she too considered ending her life.

However, she was saved by her dog, Spike. "I was sitting in this big empty house in Bel Air, with a phone with five extensions which we no longer needed. I had the gun in my lap, and the dog sat on the gun. I lecture on suicide because things turn around," she told the Daily Beast . "I tell people this is a horrible, awful dark moment, but it will change and you must know it’s going to change and you push forward. I look back and think, 'Life is great, life goes on. It changes.'" As she got older, she made sure to set aside money for her pets when she made her will. 0 Shares Joan Rivers Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline Media Personalities Joan Rivers Biography Joan Rivers was an American actress, comedian, writer, producer and TV host. This biography of Joan Rivers provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline Quick Facts TV Anchors , Comedians , Stand-up Comedians , Actresses , Writers Also Known As Joan Alexandra Molinsky, Queen of the Barbed One-liners, Pepper January, The Queen Of Comedy, @joan_rivers, Ms.

Joan Rivers, Jake and Joan Jim, Rivers, Joan Famous as 2015 - Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album - Diary Of A Mad Diva 1990 - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host - The Joan Rivers Show Image Credit Joan Alexandra Molinsky, better known by her stage name, Joan Rivers, was an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, playwright, screenwriter, film director, columnist, lecturer, radio host, jewelry designer and TV-host. As a young girl she worked at a number of jobs before trying her hand at acting. After appearing in numerous small plays she took up stand-up comedy. She became a known face throughout America after appearing as a guest on 'The Tonight Show' which was hosted by her mentor Johnny Carson. With the new found popularity she went onto make guest appearances in many talk shows and released chart-topping comedy albums. In 1986, she became the first woman to host a late night network television show called 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers'. The show's timings clashed with the timings of Carson's show which embittered her former mentor who never spoke to her again.

In the last years of her career, she mostly conducted comedic interviews of celebrities walking on the red carpet at award shows. Throughout her career her comic style remained rather controversial as she'd often use satirical and scathing words to make fun of herself and other celebrities. She also wrote 12 best-selling memoir and humor books Childhood & Early Life Joan Rivers was born on June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York to Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice and Meyer C Molinsky. Joan had an elder sister, Barbara Waxler who passed away in 2013. Joan received her education from Brooklyn Ethical Culture School and the Adelphi Academy. After her family moving to Larchmont, she attended Connecticut College and graduated from Barnard College in 1954 with a BA in English literature and anthropology. Before entering show business she worked as a buyer for a chain store, a tour guide at Rockefeller center, proofreader in an advertising agency and as a fashion consultant. On her agent, Tony Rivers' advise she adopted her stage name - Joan Rivers. Career In the 1960s Rivers performed at many comedy clubs in the Greenwich Village.

Her big break came when she appeared on âThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carsonâ in 1965. Eventually she got her own talk-show 'That Show with Joan Rivers' in 1969. In the 1970s, she appeared on comedy show 'The Carol Burnett Show' and the game show 'Hollywood Squares'. She wrote a black comedy movie titled 'The Girl Most Likely to...', directed the film 'Rabbit Test' and performed the opening acts for the singers Helen Reddy, Robert Goulet, Mac Davis and Sergio Franchi at the Las Vegas strip. By 1983, she had become a regular guest host of 'The Tonight Show' and also hosted the April 9, 1983 episode of 'Saturday Night Live'. Around this time, she also released a comedy album titled 'What becomes a Semi-Legend Most?' The album was a huge hit and attained No. 22 on the US Billboard 200. In 1986, FOX TV Network announced the launch of 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers'. The show timings clashed with that of Johnny Carsonâs show but Rivers did not tell him anything about the show.

Carson never talked to her again. A new TV talk show 'The Joan Rivers Show' came out in 1989 and ran for five years. It won her the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show in 1990. In 1994, she co-wrote and starred in the play 'Sally Marr... and Her Escorts' which was about Lenny Bruce's mother, an established stand-up comedian herself. Rivers was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the role. She made regular appearances on Howard Stern's radio show and The Shopping Channel where she promoted her own line of jewelry, The Joan Rivers Collection. The 2005 wedding of Prince Charles (Prince of Wales) and Camilla Parker Bowles saw only four Americans in the guest list; Rivers was one of the esteemed ones. In 2008, she appeared on the show 'Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack' as one of the 20 hijackers. The same year she also appeared on the NBC-show 'Celebrity Feud' with her daughter Melissa. In 2009, she became the special 'pink-carpet' presenter for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

She was roasted in the Comedy Central Special roast aired on August 9, 2009. The TV show 'Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best?' premiered on January 25, 2011 on WE TV. It chronicled their lives as they worked on their careers, took care of the family and balanced their social circles. It concluded on May 4, 2014 after four seasons. Awards & Achievements Joan Rivers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989. She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for âThe Joan Rivers Showâ in 1990. She won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for 'Diary of a Mad Diva' in 2015. Personal Life & Legacy Joan Rivers married James Sanger, the son of a Bond Clothing Stores manager, in 1955. When she found out that he was not interested in having children, she got the marriage annulled in six months. She married Edgar Rosenberg in 1965 and they had a daughter named Melissa.

Edgar committed suicide in 1987 and Rivers later confessed that their 22-year marriage was a 'total sham' and that she had had several extra-marital affairs. Several times her cheeky and in-your-face humor landed her in trouble. Her jokes on Adele's weight, the Holocaust and Ariel Castro kidnappings received stern and strong criticism, but she refused to apologize as these were jokes and nothing more. Rivers had several cosmetic surgeries and was a patient of the famous plastic surgeon Steven Hoefflin. Following a minor surgery in August 2014, she had a cardiac arrest and was placed in a medically induced coma. Joan Rivers never woke up from the coma and passed away on September 4, 2014. Net Worth At the time of her death, Joan Rivers had an estimated net worth of $150 million. Trivia She was a philanthropist who supported the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The City of San Diego called her their 'Joan of Arc' because of her philanthropic work regarding HIV/AIDS.

She helped several NGOs and generously donated to Jewish charities, animal welfare efforts, and suicide prevention causes Translate this page to Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese Pictures of Joan Rivers Also Listed In Joan Rivers Biography - life, family, children, name, story, wife, mother, old, born, college - Newsmakers Cumulation Joan Rivers Biography Joan Rivers Biography Comedian, writer, actress, and television show host Born Joan Alexandra Molinsky, June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Meyer C. (a physician) and Beatrice Molinsky; married James Sanger (an heir to a department store fortune), 1957 (annulled, 1958); married Edgar Rosenberg (a manager, executive, and producer), 1964 (committed suicide, August 14, 1987); children: Melissa (from second marriage). Education: Attended Connecticut College for Women; Barnard College, B.A. (English and anthropology), 1954. Addresses: Agent —William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Office —c/o QVC, 1200 Wilson Dr.

at Studio Park, Westchester, PA 19380. Website — Career Worked as fashion coordinator for Bond Clothing Store and as publicist in New York department store Lord & Taylor, 1950s; actress in Off Broadway plays; worked as a comedian touring United States, billed as Pepper January; appeared with Second City improvisational troupe, 1961-62; wrote for television show Candid Camera ; first appearance on The Tonight Show, NBC, 1965; released album Joan Rivers Presents Mr.

Phyllis and Other Funny Stories, Warner Bros., 1965; first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1966; continued to tour as a comedian, 1960s-1970s; had own talk show, That Show Starring Joan Rivers, 1968; made big-screen debut in The Swimmer, 1968; wrote and starred in Broadway play, Fun City, 1972; co-wrote television Joan Rivers movie, The Girl Most Likely To ..., ABC, 1973; wrote syndicated column for Chicago Tribune ; wrote and directed feature film Rabbit Test, 1977; co-creator of television series Husbands, Wives, and Lovers, CBS, 1978; worked as substitute host for The Tonight Show, through early 1980s; signed contract to be permanent co-host for Carson on The Tonight Show, 1983; released album What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most, Geffen, 1983; appeared as guest host, Saturday Night Live, NBC; signed to be host of The Late Show, FOX, 1985; center

 square on Hollywood Squares game show, 1987; had role in Broadway Bound, 1988; had own daytime talk show, The Joan Rivers Show, 1988-93; had talk show Joan Rivers' Gossip!

Gossip! Gossip!, USA, 1992-93; sold line of jewelry on QVC home shopping network, 1992—; had talk show Can We Shop?, syndicated, 1994; co-wrote the stage show Sally Marr and Her Escorts, 1994; co-wrote and appeared in Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story, NBC, 1994; hostess of pre-award show programs for E! Entertainment Television, 1995-2004; made guest appearances on Another World, NBC, 1997; radio talk-show host, WOR, 1997-2002; performed Broke and Alone in London (solo show), West End, London, 2002; guest appearance on Nip/Tuck, F/X, 2004; provided voice for animated film Shrek 2, 2004; host of pre-award show programs for TV Guide Channel, 2004—.

Awards: Georgie Award for best comedian, American Guild of Variety Artists, 1975; Clio Awards, best performance in a TV commercial, 1976, 1982; Daytime Emmy Award for best talk show host, for The Joan Rivers Show, 1990; Marymount Manhattan College, honorary doctorate, 1996. Sidelights In the early 2000s, Joan Rivers was best known for her work as a red carpet fashion commentator for the Academy Awards, Emmys, and other major awards shows. However, she has had a varied career, working on stage, film, and television. Rivers began her career as a touring comedian before her big break on The Tonight Show in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she wrote and/or starred in films, plays, and television movies. By the 1980s, Rivers had a high profile, first as the permanent guest host of The Tonight Show then as the host of her own, usually short-lived talk shows.

Rivers re-invented herself in the mid-1990s as a fashion commentator who often appeared with her daughter, Melissa. Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky on June 8, 1933, in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. She was the daughter of Meyer and Beatrice Molinsky. Her father was a doctor, while her mother had been born to wealth in Imperial Russia, but her family had become impoverished during the Russian Revolution. Rivers was raised in wealth with an older sister, Barbara, who became an attorney and was seen as better and more accomplished than her younger sister. Rivers attended Connecticut College for Women, then Barnard College. As a student, she appeared in college productions of Othello and An Ideal Husband. Rivers earned her B.A. in English and anthropology from Barnard College in 1954. She then worked for Lord & Taylor, a New York City-based department store, as a publicist, as well as a fashion coordinator for Bond Clothing Stores in the 1950s. Rivers married for the first time to James Sanger, the heir to the Bond Stores fortune, in 1957.

The marriage was short-lived, and annulled the following year. When her marriage to Sanger ended, Rivers went home for a time and decided that she wanted to be an actress. She studied the craft and appeared in some Off Broadway plays. Rivers soon turned to comedy when she was told that was where her talents laid. She did not really have the support of her family, who wanted Rivers to marry. Instead, Rivers supported herself by becoming a comedian touring the United States under the name Pepper January. From 1961 to 1962, Rivers worked with Second City, the well-known improvisational comedy troupe. After this run, she continued to perform as a comedian, primarily working in New York City. Her comedy focused on politics and society. Rivers had one immediate goal: appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, she finally made her debut on the show in 1965. Carson said he enjoyed her act and stated she would be successful. This marked Rivers' first big break. She soon appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a popular variety show, for the first time. As Rivers' professional career began to soar, her personal life also improved.

In 1964, she married her second husband, Edgar Rosenberg, a British producer. Together, they had one child, a daughter named Melissa. Rosenberg supported his wife's career and helped her hone her comedy act. He also helped her work through her fears about performing. Rivers' comedy focus gradually changed as she began talking about herself instead of others. Drawing on her Jewish, middle-class background, she made light of herself as an obese child, an adult who liked to shop, and a wife who could not cook. In 1968, Rivers had her first shot at a talk show, the short-lived That Show Starring Joan Rivers. She also tried to break into films, with a small role in The Swimmer. Most of her success still came as a touring comedian, including stints in Las Vegas throughout the 1970s. Rivers also appeared on a number of television variety shows, as well as The Tonight Show on a regular basis. In the 1970s, Rivers' career expanded beyond comedy and television as she moved into other genres. In 1972, she wrote and starred in her own Broadway play, Fun City.

The following year, she co-wrote a television movie that aired on ABC, The Girl Most Likely To. During this same time period, she was writing a nationally syndicated column for the Chicago Tribune. In 1977, Rivers wrote and directed her first feature film, Rabbit Test. Starring comedian Billy Crystal, the film focuses on the first man to become pregnant and give birth. The film was panned by critics. After the failure of Husband, Wives, and Lovers, a 1978 television situation comedy that Rivers cocreated, she continued working on screenplay and television script ideas through the early 1980s. However, Rivers primarily focused on developing her own comic material and performing live. By this time, her comedy made fun of celebrities and other people, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II, and First Lady Nancy Reagan. Rivers also focused on her own appearance, promoting plastic surgery, and the promiscuity of a made-up best friend. Of her take on comedy, she told Gerald Clarke of Time, "Comedy should always be on that very fine line of going too far. It should always be on the brink of disaster. Otherwise, it's pap and who cares? It's boring.

Then you become the grand old lady ." Rivers' frequent appearances on The Tonight Show led to her being a frequent substitute host for Carson. In 1983, she signed a contract making her the permanent substitute for Carson, essentially his co-host. Rivers hosted The Tonight Show on a weekly basis as Carson often went on vacation and worked many shortened weeks by this time period. Though sometimes controversial—especially among those she skewered with her comedy—she did well in the ratings. She sometimes drew better ratings than Carson himself. However, Rivers soon feuded with NBC over The Tonight Show because she allegedly was not being considered to replace Carson when he retired. The situation with The Tonight Show soon worsened. In 1985, Rivers signed with the new FOX network to host her own talk show, The Late Show. The move was considered a stab in the back to Carson, who had helped her career in so many ways, because she worked on the deal without telling him about it. After she signed the three-year, $15 million deal, Carson and Rivers became rivals. The Late Show premiered in the fall of 1986, and only had low ratings and mostly negative reviews.

Rivers was fired in the spring of 1987, and replaced by guest hosts. One potential reason for the failure of The Late Show was tension between FOX and Rivers. The network wanted her to be more pleasant to guests and not the hard interviewer she had been on The Tonight Show. She also believed that she could not get great guests to appear. Rivers' husband acted as the show's executive producer and ran it behind the scenes. Rosenberg and FOX had major disagreements about The Late Show, and the network fired Rivers primarily because of him. It was believed that FOX would have kept her if she would have gotten rid of him. The failure of The Late Show weighed heavily on Rosenberg. Soon after its end, he killed himself in a hotel room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, the show's demise was probably not the only reason for his suicide. He had suffered two heart attacks and heart failure in 1984, and had to have bypass surgery. He and Rivers had also separated. After his death, the general perception by the public was that Rivers did not particularly care about her husband's suicide.

This happened despite the fact that she had called him her strength and stability in print three years earlier and considered suicide herself for a time after his passing. As Rivers pulled her life back together, she found she was no longer in demand as she had been. For a time, she was not booked in the same clubs as before because of her show's failure and husband's death. To continue to earn a leaving, she served as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares for a time in 1987. Rivers also moved back to New York City, where she returned to the stage. She appeared as Kate in Broadway Bound, a critical and box office success. Television still had its allure for Rivers, and she soon had new talk shows. Beginning in 1988, she had a gossipy syndicated daytime talk show, The Joan Rivers Show, which lasted for several years. On this show, she was open about herself—her surgeries, her husband's death, her relationship with her daughter—and tried to get her guests to be as honest about themselves. Rivers told Joanne Kaufman of People, "If I had seen myself as this real failure, I wouldn't have done this.

But this was a case of getting back on the horse. I know I can do a talk show as well as some and better than others. And don't dare anyone tell me I cannot do something. I had to prove to myself I could." Rivers won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on the show. While The Joan Rivers Show was still on the air, Rivers began doing another show as well. In 1992, she did Joan Rivers' Gossip! Gossip! Gossip! for the USA network. Both shows were canceled in 1993. By this time, Rivers had another source of income. Since 1992, she had been selling her own line of jewelry on QVC. She later added other products to her line, including clothing. By early 1994, she had sold $60 million in jewelry and fashion. Rivers owned her own company to create these products called Joan Rivers Worldwide, of which she served as chief executive officer and president. Rivers also continued to write and act in television and on stage. In 1994, she co-wrote a stage show with Lonny Price and Erin Sanders called Sally Marr and Her Escorts.

It was loosely based on the life of comic Lenny Bruce's mother. When the show made it to Broadway, Rivers played the title role. That same year, Rivers and her daughter co-wrote the autobiographical television movie, Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story, for NBC. The pair also starred in the movie, which focused on their relationship and Rivers' professional career after the death of her husband. Tears and Laughter did well in the ratings. In 1995, Rivers started a new line of work, providing commentary on what celebrities wore to awards shows and related pre-awards shows with her daughter. The pair had a contract with E! Entertainment Television to do this commentary before the Emmys, Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and other events. Rivers and her daughter also interviewed attendees about all aspects of their lives when they walked on the red carpet. After several years, they also added a special after the Academy Awards to talk about who wore what to the ceremony. While continuing her commentary shows, Rivers also began a new job. In 1997, she began hosting a syndicated talk show on WOR, a New York City-based radio station.

It was eventually syndicated to about 50 other radio stations. On the show, Rivers interviewed guests, talked about the news, discussed both sides of a current issue, and did some comedy. The show ended its run in 2002. Rivers continued to work as an actress on occasion. In 1997, she had a role for a few episodes on the soap opera Another World. In 2002, Rivers performed a solo show in England, Broke and Alone in London. Two years later, she had a guest appearance on the F/X show Nip/Tuck and provided a voice in the animated feature Shrek 2. In 2004, Rivers and her daughter ended their relationship with E! and joined the TV Guide Channel for the same kind of commentary shows in June of that year. Rivers' three-year deal was worth $8 million. In addition to doing the award show programming, Rivers and her daughter also planned to do holiday specials and other shows for the TV Guide Channel.

Of Rivers' importance to awards shows, Rose Apodaca Jones told Clarissa Cruz of Entertainment Weekly, "The red carpet is what it is because of Joan." Selected discography 1000+ images about JOAN RIVERS aka joan alexandra molinsky rosenberg on Pinterest | Johnny carson, Joan rivers quotes and Penthouse for sale Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas JOAN RIVERS aka joan alexandra molinsky rosenberg "Style is like Herpes;you either have it or you do not" ~Joan Rivers.Style? She had it! Controversial ? Yes but strong,smart,accomplished,philanthropic,funny,supported America and Israel,looked fabulous.We prayed that Joan would recover after a cardiac and respiratory arrest on 8/28/2014...But Joan went home to be with the Lord on 9/4/2014. God Bless you Joan for all you have given and all that you are...You will be missed so very much... I feel I have lost my dearest friend...RIP.

294 Pins274 Followers Joan Rivers - Biography - IMDb Joan Rivers Biography Showing all 152 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (8) | Trivia (81) | Personal Quotes (54) | Salary (1) Overview (5) The Queen of the Barbed One-liners Height 5' 2" (1.57 m) Mini Bio (1) Joan Rivers was born on June 8, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA as Joan Alexandra Molinsky. She was a writer and actress, known for Fashion Police (2002), The Joan Rivers Show (1989) and The Joan Rivers Show (1968). She was married to Edgar Rosenberg and James Sanger. She died on September 4, 2014 in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.

Spouse (2) ( 15 July 1965 - 14 August 1987) (his death) (1 child) James Sanger (1955 - 1955) (annulled) Trade Mark (8) Had had a lot of plastic surgery, had never denied it, and as a matter of fact, made lots of jokes about her own (and other people's) plastic surgery. Loud, raspy voice with New York accent. Said "Can we talk?" frequently in both her acting roles and stand-up routines. "What a tramp!" or "Such a tramp!" Had made fun towards each other Her self-deprecating persona Attended Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. Attended Connecticut College for Women in New London, Conneticut. Received her Bachelor's degree in English literature and anthropology from Barnard College in New York City (1954). After graduating from college and before getting into show business, she was briefly a shoe buyer for Lord & Taylor, a department store in New York City. Collected Faberge eggs. Said the most difficult celebrity she ever interviewed was Tommy Lee Jones , whom she thought was rude.

Was the national spokesperson for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Hosted a daily talk show on WOR-AM radio in New York City from 1997 until 2002, syndicated to about 50 stations. About 1982, she was appointed the first permanent guest hostess on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). She infuriated Johnny Carson when she left to host her own show, The Late Show (1986) on rival Fox network. Johnny Carson never spoke to her again. She won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1990 for best talk show host and was nominated for a Tony Award for the play "Donna Marr and Her Escorts" in 1994. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1985. Was one of the final guests to appear on The Wayne Brady Show (2002). Was nominated for Broadway's 1994 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for portraying the title character, Sally Marr , in "Sally Marr... and Her Escorts". Was a vegetarian. Started performing as a stand-up comedienne using the stage name Pepper January.

She was a Phi Beta Kappa Sorority key holder from Barnard College, where she studied anthropology. She had her first cosmetic surgery procedure (an eye-lift) in 1965 at age 32. She had her nose thinned in 1983. The majority of her plastic surgery was performed by Santa Monica surgeon Steven Hoefflin (who also performed plastic surgery on Michael Jackson 's nose). She also received Botox and collagen injections every four months from New York City dermatologist Patricia Wexler. She was an advocate of plastic surgery for older women saying that if a woman can afford it, it is worth it for her self-esteem. Early in her career, she performed as half of the comedy team of "Joanie and Bill". "Bill" was former actor William Perry (1936-2006) who was the nephew of actress Toby Wing . An accomplished author, she has written several candid autobiographies, including "Enter Talking" and "Still Talking". Author of self-help books, including "Bouncing Back: I've Survived Everything... and I Mean Everything... and You Can Too!" and "Don't Count the Candles: Just Keep the Fire Lit!".

Author of several comedy books, including "Having a Baby Can Be a Scream" and "The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz". Her father, Meyer C. Molinsky, was a doctor. Her parents, Beatrice (Grushman) and Meyer Molinsky, were Russian Jewish immigrants. Early in her career, she was a writer for Candid Camera (1953). Her publicist was Judy Katz . Was a Republican. Used to maintain a residence in Litchfield County, Connecticut adjacent to the former Bill Blass estate. Performed stand-up comedy, prior to hopeful Broadway run, at Club Fez in Manhattan. [June 2002] (June 30, 2004) Announced that she and her daughter, Melissa Rivers , were leaving E! Entertainment to fashion-bash red-carpet-wise over at the TV Guide Channel. They had been with E! Entertainment since 1996. Most recently lived in Malibu, California with her daughter, Melissa Rivers , and her grandson, Edgar Cooper Endicott .

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7030 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on July 26, 1989. On August 28, 2014, she was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital after experiencing complications during throat surgery being performed at a New York City Clinic. Joan Rivers passed away on September 4, 2014, at age 81. This was a month, after her longtime friend Lauren Bacall had passed away. Upon her death, her body was cremated at the Garden State Crematory in Union City, New Jersey, and her ashes are in possession of her daughter Melissa. Protegee of Phyllis Diller . Knew Kelly Osbourne when she was only 6, she later worked with her on Fashion Police (2002). Her older sister, Barbara Waxler, passed away on June 3, 2013 at age 82. Attended the funeral of Ernest Borgnine , when the actor passed away in 2012. At a very early age, she wanted to be an actress.

Though she was born in Brooklyn, New York, Rivers was also raised in the following cities: Crown Heights and portions of the Prospect Heights and Brownsville neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn. Her father, Dr. Meyer C. Molinsky, who graduated from medical school at Long Island College and in the mid-1930s kept an office at 760 Montgomery Street in Crown Heights, New York, historical records show. Had never retired from comedy. After her death, the friends who attended her funeral on September 7, 2014 were Oprah Winfrey , Whoopi Goldberg , Bernadette Peters , David Letterman , Jimmy Kimmel , Kathy Griffin , Donald Trump , Kelly Osbourne , Howard Stern , Robin Quivers , Kathie Lee Gifford , Rachael Ray , Geraldo Rivera , Sally Jessy Raphael , Sarah Jessica Parker , Judy Sheindlin , Barbara Walters , Rosie O'Donnell , Diane Sawyer and her daughter Melissa Rivers . In 2012, Rivers protested against the warehouse-club Costco because they would not sell her New York Times bestselling book, "I Hate Everyone... Starting with Me". She handcuffed herself to a person's shopping cart and shouted through a megaphone.

The police were called to the scene and she left without incident and no arrests were made. Best remembered by the public as the hostess of The Joan Rivers Show (1989), Fashion Police (2002) and Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? (2011). Was merciless with subjects of popular piety. Before she was a successful actress and comedienne, she was part of "Jim, Jake, and Joan", a comedic musical trio, in 1964. Had briefly attended Brooklyn Ethical Culture School in Brooklyn, New York. Celebrated her 80th birthday on an episode of Fashion Police (2002) and on QVC, on June 8, 2013. While being a talk show hostess, she once worked as a waitress at Denny's Restaurant, in W. Palm Beach, Florida. She was switching jobs with Rhonda Denton who used to work at the same restaurant, when the guest host for Rivers on The Joan Rivers Show (1989) was announced in New York. Served as an Honorary Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Before an unfamiliar comedian Arsenio Hall had a successful late night talk show, she had used him for The Late Show (1986), as her replacement. Fortunately for Hall, he only got the job, because she left the show, because of the way the producers had been taken advantaged of her. A big influence on Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan . She was regarded in being one of the busiest personalities on television. Mentor and friends of: Oprah Winfrey , Whoopi Goldberg , Arsenio Hall , Kathy Griffin , Chris Hardwick , Kelly Osborne and her real-life daughter Melissa Rivers . She graduated from the Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York, in 1950, at almost 17 years old. In 1949, aged 16, she was vice president of the Dramatic Club at the Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, New York. Had first watched television; when she was only 6 at the World's Fair. Lifelong friend of nearly 35 years Geraldo Rivera . Was brought on to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), seven times and was turned down, until she made her first appearance.

Had changed her last name from Molinsky to Rivers; this was because she wanted to be an actress; her agent Larry Rivers talked her into doing this. Her husband Edgar Rosenberg even committed suicide when he was overdosing himself with a bottle of prescription pills. Their daughter Melissa Rivers found him unconscious in a Philadelphia hotel room. Had always wanted to be an actress, this led her parents into kicking young Molinsky out of her parents' house. Was the only performer to have guest-hosted or have appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), more than anyone else. Met Barbara Walters at NBC in 1965, where there might've been a competition in between the two ladies. The two became friends for nearly 50 years, until Rivers's own death in 2014. Joan Rivers passed away on September 4, 2014, at age 81. Just before her death, she hosted her final taping of Fashion Police (2002), about the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards and the 2014 MTV Movie Awards.

On her 100th episode of The Late Show (1986), Rivers had two separate problems: the ratings sank, and she was also separated from her husband, Edgar Rosenberg , who wasn't just depressed, but was in bad health, after years of heavy smoking, who was also deeply in debt. He tried to ask her for help, when she refused to help him. She told him he had to get help, who couldn't pull poor Rivers down. Before Edgar's suicide, she was fired from the talk show, after 1 year. Her career almost came to an end when she feuded with Johnny Carson , off- the set of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), the loss of her second husband Edgar Rosenberg and her short-lived talk show The Late Show (1986), however, she attempted to make a comeback when she was hosting a Daytime Talk Show, The Joan Rivers Show (1989), in 1989. Had started acting when she was in high school. Had performed on television late, but her successful comedy career had lasted 55 years.

Just before Johnny Carson 's death, Rivers called him many times, but refused to answer all of her calls. Before Chris Hardwick was a comedian, game show host and a talk show host, he, alongside his family met her, when she was doing an opening act for her own mentor Johnny Carson , in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was only 3 years old, and became friends, of nearly 40 years, until Rivers's own death in 2014. The first joke she ever stole was on The Jack Paar Tonight Show (1957). Just before her death, she starred and have hosted Fashion Police (2002) and Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? (2011), at the same time. In 1942, when young Joan was 9, she watched the movie Journey for Margaret (1942), starring Margaret O'Brien . She was very disgusted realizing she could've done better than her. Had never performed as a child. Almost shared the same birthday with Ruth Westheimer , by 4 days, who is 5 years Rivers's senior.

Was one of the stars to release statements in Paul Reubens defense, after he was being arrested for indecent exposure in July 1991. Attended the funeral of Ed McMahon , when the television personality/announcer passed away on June 29, 2009. Personal Quotes (54) [on her idea of a perfect childbirth experience] Knock me out with the first pain, and wake me up when the hairdresser arrives. If you're not a wreck in this business, you're not around. Once I was having lunch in a fancy restaurant with Lily Tomlin and Richard Pryor . We were all struggling comics together and the day we had lunch, any one of us could have picked up the check. That's when I knew I'd made it. Camilla Parker-Bowles is an earthy, funny woman. You can swear in front of her. [on Parkinson (1971), when entering] I am a dyke! And I'm DAMN proud of it! I want them to know I don't think I'm wonderful, or better than they are. Part of comedy is saying: "I am you and you are me, and we're all feeling the same thing".

I'm in nobody's circle, I've always been an outsider. I don't have those wonderful dinners with Woody, I've never been asked by Jay. And it makes you sad, because I think it would be wonderful to sit and talk about things that very few people understand. But I'm very competitive, and I'm sure they feel that. I'm jealous of that little slut Paris Hilton . Why? I'm very competitive. And I think that's what has kept me going. I'm not gracious. The only thing that's saving me is my age. Because I don't care. I've been up, I've been down. I've been fired, I've been hired. I've been broke. What are you gonna to do me? Not like me? I don't give a damn. There is not one female comic who was beautiful as a little girl. [on young female comics]: They all come up to me and say, "Without you, I couldn't be here, the barriers you broke down." I say, "Get the f*** away from me. I still could take every one of you with one hand behind my back. Outta here. Talk like that at my funeral, but not till then".

[June 29, 2008] One of the reasons I am so happy - there's lots happening again. Four times in my life, I woke up and the diary was empty. That's the worst feeling in the world. My Broadway show and my talk show were canceled on the same Friday. And I went that night to see Barbra Streisand , whom I'd started with, perform for 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden. That was a very bad night. Now I'm doing a pilot, I have two books coming, I have my play, I'm in a series that they've shot and they hope will be successful, I'm doing stand-up and I've got my jewelry company. At this age, to be wanted - you are fighting every single step of the way. I was just interviewed for a documentary [ Making Trouble (2007)] on my least favorite subject - women comedians and how we've all been kept out. These two women came to my house, very serious, and asked, "How long did it take for you to get into the room?".

I said, "Let me tell you something: if Adolf Hitler had four good jokes, he'd be in the room." It has to do with funny. Then they talked about how women help each other. I said, "I hate to tell you, but if it was between Sarah Silverman and me for a job? I'll kill her and she'll kill me. There's no sisterhood in comedy". There is not one female comic who was beautiful as a little girl. Tell me one funny woman who was ever beautiful. Gwyneth Paltrow , stop, please, stop, I can't stand it. Angelina Jolie ? Men don't want you funny. It's all about coping when you're not being the pretty girl, and you're not being the first one asked to dance, and the bottle spins and lands on you and Stuart Wein doesn't want to kiss you. One of the earliest jokes I did about my husband was that I was the one who really caused Edgar's suicide, because, while we were making love, I took the bag off my head. My husband wanted to be cremated.

I told him I'd scatter his ashes at [the department store] Neiman Marcus - that way, I'd visit him every day. I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio. [In an interview, on the British chat show Loose Women (1999) in 2008, on working the red carpet for the E! Channel]: You get someone like Russell Crowe , and you want to say to the camera, he is a piece of - get ready to bleep this - f***ing shit. (Rivers was immediately pulled from the British chat show - they had no bleep.) These idiots came running onto the set, ripped me off my seat and dragged me off, saying, "Let's go, let's go, let's go." When the audience saw my empty chair, I worried that, because of my age, they might think I'd wet it because my diaper leaked. People always ask me, "What haven't you done, Miss Rivers? You've done this and that, been nominated for an Emmy and a Tony.

You've hosted shows, you've acted, done stand-up, lost your husband to suicide, been bankrupted by a business partner [who made off with $37m in the 1990s] - what haven't you done?". Well, until today, I'd never been kicked off live television. Assholes. [Interview with Andrew Scott, June 10, 2010] I've never been in the "in" group. I've never been considered. But that's what keeps me punching, if that makes sense. I'm still in the "I'll show you" mentality. [on the passing of Elaine Kaufman ] Elaine's was a place you went to let everyone know you were in town. It was first stop L.A./N.Y. You knew your name was above the title when Elaine sat with you. I also loved that the prices changed constantly. [on reality shows] When was the last time you went to a dinner party where three women got up and slapped each other? Everybody's punching and slapping. This is not reality. We got a second season because everybody that has a parent, a mother, anyone can relate to what really happens between adult children and parents.

Having my daughter, I screamed for twenty-three hours straight. And that was just during conception. Boy George is all England needs. Another queen who can't dress. New York was the magic city. New York was Oz. All I wanted to do was get out of Brooklyn and get into Oz. We'd go to the theater district -- I saved my money, and I would go with a girlfriend and sit in Sardi's, order an avocado for 60 cents, and wait to be discovered. They must have been thrilled to see us. We went to Howard Johnson's, and my friend smoked a cigarette. We're sitting at the Howard Johnson's, and we're smoking cigarettes -- say no more. Men who look down my dress usually compliment me on my shoes. That awful, vulgar, loud woman on stage, that's not me. I wouldn't want to be her friend. [on antiques] If Louis XIV hasn't sat on it, I don't want it. [In 2010, on Twitter] With all the plastic surgery I've had, I'm worried that when I die, God won't recognize me! I don't exercise.

If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor. [on the red-carpet] Who are you wearing? [her trademark line] Can we talk? My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on. The secret of my success is just saying what everybody else has been thinking. I haven't missed the Emmys since that year my makeup team was nominated for "Best Special Effects"! Look at Gwyneth Paltrow being named the Most Beautiful this year. Congratulations, Gwyneth! Now look at who she got to vote: Ray Charles , José Feliciano , Helen Keller, Ronnie Milsap , Tom Sullivan , and Stevie Wonder . Never be afraid to laugh at yourself; after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes...and six months later, you have to start all over again. There are three things all children should be taught never to do: touch a hot stove; pull lamps off tables; and wake their mother before noon. A study says owning a dog makes you 10 years younger. I'd rescue two more, but who wants to go through menopause twice?

[on daughter Melissa Rivers ] She and I are very close. We speak every single day. Literally, I call her every day and leave the same message on her answering machine: "Pick the hell up, Melissa. I know you're there, damn it." And she always calls me back with the same response: "Mom, how in God's name did you get this new number?" At my funeral, I want Meryl Streep crying in five different accents. [on Justin Bieber ] He looks like the daughter Cher wishes she'd had. Want to know why women don't blink during foreplay? Not enough time. [on Renee Zellweger] Push her face against a glass door, and you'll see what all babies look like at birth. If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly. My love life is like a piece of Swiss cheese: much of it's missing, and what's there stinks. The great thing about irrigating your colon is that sometimes you find old jewelry. People say that money is not the key to happiness. But I've always figured that, with enough money, you can hire a battering ram.

All I ever heard when I was a kid was,"Why can't you be more like your cousin Sheila?" And Sheila had died at birth. I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I'd look like without plastic surgery. I have no sex appeal. If my husband didn't toss and turn, we'd never have had any kids. All my mother told me about sex was that the man goes on top, and that the woman goes on bottom. For three years, my husband and I slept in bunk beds. My sex life is so bad, my G-spot has been declared a historical landmark. [on turning 50]: Our natures are a lot like oil, mix us with anything else, and we strive to swim on top. [When constantly thought about dying]: In your 80s, you'd be foolish not to think about that. I am definitely going to be cremated. I've left money so the dogs can be taken care of. I've said to Melissa, 'Sell anything and everything you don't want. Don't feel beholden to my possessions.' I feel almost hysterical on that. I don't want them to have a sense of guilt. Salary (1)

Question: How is Joan Molinsky better known?
Answer: Joan Rivers