Caribbean American celebrities are among those paying homage to sharp-tongued television host and comedian, Joan Rivers, who passed away Thursday afternoon at age 81 at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, days after going into cardiac arrest.
In 2011, Nicki Minaj visited the set of Rivers’ hit show Fashion Police. Before Rivers died, Rihanna, often the subject of discussion on Fashion Police tweeted:
Please keep Joan Rivers in your prayers
— Rihanna (@rihanna) September 2, 2014
“Love her, Hate her, Love her, Hate her, now we will have to do without her. #RIPJoanRivers,” tweeted actress Sheryl Lee Ralph Thursday evening.
Actress Zoe Saldana who has roots in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, tweeted: “My heart is absolutely broken. My prayers go out to #JoanRivers and her family. RIP#JoanRivers.”
“Thoughts & prayers go out to @MelRivers, Cooper, and @Joan_Rivers‘ entire family. She was a pioneer & comedic force who will be missed. #RIP,” tweeted Jackee Harry, who has Trinidadian roots.
Jamaican-born, The Voice 2013 winner, Tessanne Chin, also tweeted: “Such sad news RIP #JoanRivers #Legend” while singer Pitbull, who has roots in Puerto Rico added: “Joan Rivers – RIP to one of the funniest realest woman ever #phuckitlist.”
Trinidadian Heather Headley was more reflective in her comments, noting via Twitter: “Got in my car turned the radio on & heard ‘she was…she was…’ #JoanRivers! When I met her she told me she loved my dress..made my night!”
Rivers was an internationally renowned comedienne, Emmy-award-winning television talk-show host, Tony-award-nominated actress, bestselling author, playwright, screenwriter, film director, columnist, lecturer, syndicated radio host, jewelry designer, cosmetic-company entrepreneur, and red-carpet fashion laureate. She was the first woman to break the glass ceiling of Late Night Television. After she was chosen to be the only permanent guest host on The Tonight Show for three years, she then went on to become the first woman ever to host her own late night talk show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers on the Fox Network.
After creating and hosting Live from the Red Carpet for the E! Network (1996-2004), Joan returned to anchor their hugely successful franchise Fashion Police, hosting both its hour-long weekly broadcasts and its awards-season specials, and reaching more than 10 million people worldwide. From hot new trends to red-carpet risks, Joan hilariously takes viewers through a recap of the week’s celebrity fashion and ultimately decides who sizzled and who fizzled. Rivers also dominates the world of reality television with her daughter, Melissa Rivers, in their weekly hit series on WEtv, Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best? – now in its fourth season. This inimitable duo addresses the question that has plagued daughters since the beginning of time: Does mother truly know best? She also broke new ground with her cutting-edge weekly web series, In Bed with Joan, which featured intimate interviews with actors, singers and rising comics. Rivers was also a vastly accomplished author. Her 11th book, I Hate Everyone… Starting With Me, was published by the Penguin Group in June 2012 and instantly became a New York Times Bestseller. Her latest book, Diary of a Mad Diva, was published in July 2014 and also made the New York Times Bestseller list. Her other works included her bestselling autobiographies Enter Talking and Still Talking, and Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery, a work of fiction. In 2012, Rivers recorded her live concert performance at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois for a comedy special entitled Don’t Start with Me, which premiered on Showtime that November, and was released both on DVD and iTunes in January 2013. She also performs extensively throughout Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia. In 2011, Joan became the first “GoDaddy.Co Girl,” hilariously representing the successful web-hosting company, GoDaddy.com. The commercial premiered during Super Bowl XLV to millions of viewers nationwide. No stranger to the world of animation, in addition to lending her unique voice to Shrek 2 and Spaceballs: The Animated Series, Rivers received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2009 for her portrayal of “Bubbe” on PBS’ award-winning animated children’s series Arthur. In 2011, she voiced “Annie Dubinsky,” the hard-talking agent of “Krusty the Klown” on The Simpsons.
Rivers was hospitalized last week after going into cardiac arrest following a routine medical procedure.
“I enjoy life when things are happening.I don’t care if it’s good things or bad things.That means you’re alive” @Joan_Rivers#RIPJoanRivers
— Red Carpet Shelley (@RedCarpetShelle) September 4, 2014
#RIPJoanRivers
