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USA Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Melissa Rivers talks TV tribute to unapologetic mom Joan: 'She kicked down the door'
Melissa Rivers talks TV tribute to unapologetic mom Joan: 'She kicked down the door' Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump, comedy, absent at White House Correspondents' Dinner The White House Correspondents' dinner went along without an appearance from President Trump or any comedians. One goal overshadowed all others for Melissa Rivers when producing a television special honoring her mother, 'Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute.' It had to be hilarious. 'My mom always said, and I say it in the special, when you make someone laugh, you give them a mini vacation, and God knows we need a vacation," Rivers says. The hourlong tribute airs May 13 on NBC (10 ET/PT), with an extended, uncensored version streaming on Peacock May14. 'The Peacock version is what really happened in the room," Rivers teases. In the special, taped in November, Tiffany Haddish raps to a rendition of 'Hava Nagila' recalling how Joan's jokes 'split your side like a kidney stone.' Nikki Glaser applauds Joan's candor about aging and plastic surgery, and Aubrey Plaza retires Joan's not-so-politically-correct jokes. Rachel Brosnahan, who cites Joan as an inspiration for Midge on Amazon Prime's 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' rapidly fires off as many Joan quips as she can in one minute. Chelsea Handler praises Joan as 'a pioneer for women in comedy,' explaining 'she walked so that we could run!' Joan Rivers (born Joan Molinksy), died in 2014 after she stopped breathing during a procedure on her throat. She became the first woman to host a late-night show, was celebrated for her brutally honest appraisal of celebrity fashion on red carpets and built a billion-dollar QVC brand. 'These women wanted to be there,' Melissa Rivers, 57, says. 'I think it's because she kicked down the door. It wasn't a glass ceiling; it was a door, and she kicked it down. And they all know that. They know that they would not be able to do what they do, especially the material they do, if she hadn't made it OK first.' Patton Oswalt tells the audience gathered at the Apollo Theater for the taping that Joan wrote 70,000 jokes. 'I would find random pieces of paper with five words on it and be like, 'Oh, this is yours. You left it,'' Rivers says. Joan 'would record all of her standup when she was working in clubs and working at new material, and then start to figure out why something didn't work or why something did work. She was very, very disciplined.' Sarah Silverman, also featured in the tribute, recalls in an interview with USA TODAY that Joan was 'always writing. She was a comic's comic 'til the end, and she still had so much more in her. What a tragic, frustrating death. 'She was 81,' Silverman continues, 'but she was the youngest, hippest 81, with so much more. One thing that really inspires me about Joan is she once said that she didn't feel like she hit her stride in standup until she was in her 70s.' Melissa Rivers marries attorney Steve Mitchel after pair lost home in LA fires Rivers' favorite part of the taping was seeing how her mother's humor can still captivate an audience today. 'Every time on the monitor (in the green room), when one of my mom's clips would roll, everyone would stop and watch and laugh," she says. "And a number of people said to me that night, 'She's still the funniest person in the room.'' Rivers says her mother 'didn't like talking about legacy,' because it "was for people who aren't relevant.' But the tribute gives Joan one more opportunity to bask in the love of a crowd. 'She was truly a writer, and she loved performing live,' Rivers says. 'She loved an audience more than anything.'
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Melissa Rivers teases uncensored tribute to late mother Joan… and reveals comedian following in her footsteps
Melissa Rivers is paying tribute to her late mom, Joan Rivers, in the most fitting way - and she stopped by the offices to talk about the upcoming homage. On May 13, NBC is airing a tribute to Joan, who tragically passed away after undergoing a routine endoscopy in 2014. On May 14, the uncensored and extended cut is airing on Peacock. Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute is a comedy special that was taped at the Apollo Theater in Harlem last November during the 20th annual New York Comedy Festival. The show is a mix of stand-up comics and celebrities paying tribute to Joan, as well as jokes from her own sets. A-list comics including Chelsea Handler, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Aubrey Plaza, Rita Wilson, Jeff Ross, Tracy Morgan, and Matteo Lane, all appear in the special. Jeff Ross even does his own take on The Fashion Police, the E! show Melissa and her mom famously starred on together for many years, critiquing celebrity style. While it was difficult to get all of the A-listers in the same room, all of the star power that wasn't on tour (like Margaret Cho, Jim Gaffigan, and Sarah Silverman) showed up to pay tribute to the comedy icon. 'It was pretty close to just taking a dart and throwing it,' Melissa said about choosing a date where all of the biggest comics in the world could come together. 'We got very lucky that we found a day where such a huge amount of A-listers all happened to be available and willing to come to New York to do it.' The comics tell jokes and some who weren't able to be there in person give interviews. As for the one who reminds Melissa most of her mom, she said Nikki Glaser is the 'closest stylistically in her delivery.' Fans can expect more expanded sets from the uncensored version, as well as a major comedian who makes an appearance in the Peacock special that Melissa promises will 'blow everyone out of the water.' When it came to choosing the male comedians taking part in the special, Melissa wanted to make sure they had a connection with her mom - like Joel McHale, who starred on his own E! show, The Soup, at the same time The Fashion Police was airing. Melissa - who has been open about how her mom would have abhorred cancel culture - was looking for people who could tell heartfelt stories as part of the tribute, but it all came back to being funny. 'People were flying in and then flying back out to their club dates, and it was really touching,' Melissa said. Melissa hasn't just been busy producing this special. She married attorney Steve Mitchel in March, after saying she'd never tie the knot again. Melissa was previously married to John Endicott from 1998 to 2003, and they share son Cooper, 24. Melissa almost didn't give Steve a chance date after he wore a particularly terrible pair of shoes that Melissa described as 'weird,' but he later called 'really comfortable.' Those weren't her only misgivings. She confided in her therapist that she was 'really scared I'm going to get bored.' 'And he said, "Maybe being a little bit bored is good for you." And he is so right. Steve is not boring, but Steve is not drama. He calls when he says he's going to call. He shows up when he's supposed to show up,' Melissa raved. 'There is no game. It's easy. And getting actually married was very important to him,' she said, adding that she would have been fine living together and wearing rings. The wedding took place only eight weeks after they tragically lost their home in the Palisades fire, but they 'very quickly' had to make the decision to move forward. They ultimately decided they 'were going to want to go away and get out of this horror for at least a weekend.' The red carpet expert opted for a silver Stella McCartney dress and changed into a Brunello Cucinelli that she said 'was for me and my friends because it's a whole different vibe.' At the wedding, they paid tribute to Joan with little bee pins, which has a special meaning because her late father had once given her mom a diamond version. The bee went on to represent their family because the 'body is too big for the size of its wings,' so it shouldn't be able to fly but still can.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Melissa Rivers brutally reveals why the Met Gala needs fashion critics
Melissa Rivers, the daughter of late comedian Joan Rivers, is preparing for the ultimate tribute to her mom. On May 13, NBC is airing Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute, a comedy special that was taped at the Apollo Theater in Harlem last November during the 20th annual New York Comedy Festival. The show features some of the most famous stand-up comics, including Chelsea Handler, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Aubrey Plaza, and Rita Wilson, all highlighting Joan's epic, groundbreaking comedy. Ahead of the special, Melissa, 57, dropped by the office to talk about why the Fashion Police could never happen today, what she really thought about this year's Met Gala ensembles, and why fashion is simply not that serious. On Monday, celebrities hit the carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for the annual Met Gala and leaned into the theme, which was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which explored Black dandyism from the 18th century to its revival during the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on fashion today. The dress code was Tailored For You, which was a nod to menswear and suiting as seen in the exhibit at the Met. Viewers at home called the outfits 'underwhelming' and 'boring,' with many A-listers opting for basic black and white ensembles. But Melissa loved the theme and said 'it's time that we had a men's lead in the theme,' especially since 'everything comes down to good tailoring.' While the red carpet expert appreciated that 'the men did a great job,' Melissa also thought the theme 'was very confusing for the women, and a lot of the women looked like they could be looking great on any red carpet.' The New York City-born producer appreciated that Tracee Ellis Ross, Janelle Monae, and Mindy Kaling all 'took the theme, got the memo and took it to the next level because it is the Met Gala,' but was disappointed in some of the other ensembles. 'Zendaya wore a spectacular white suit,' Melissa complimented, but said it could be 'a spectacular white suit on any red carpet,' because it 'didn't have the Met spin.' The star clarified she wasn't 'picking on Zendaya because she did nothing wrong,' adding that the Euphoria star 'is annoyingly perfect between the talent and the body and the looks and the styling,' joking 'it's aggravating at this point.' Melissa believes many of the female attendees did not make their looks Met Gala-worthy because of 'confusion' around the 'tailoring and suiting,' as well as how to 'elevate it.' While many fashion critics are attacked and even canceled for honestly critiquing looks, Melissa thinks the Met Gala 'is the one red carpet left where you can really give an opinion because it's meant to be over the top.' 'You are not going to see anything on the steps of the Met Gala that you will ever wear in your life.' 'It's a night of creativity and looking at fashion as art,' Melissa said. On The Fashion Police on E! which ran for 14 season, Melissa and her mom were never afraid to voice their opinions about what people wore - sometimes savagely - but today, journalists and critics are often attacked for sharing negative views about celebrities. Melissa, who has been open about what her mother would think about cancel culture, told that 'there could never be a Fashion Police again' because 'everyone's too scared.' Melissa and her iconic mother's approach to the wildly popular show was publicly saying what people would be telling their friends on the couch while watching red carpet coverage. 'Now we're in a place where everyone has to love it,' Melissa explained, adding that if they don't like an outfit, they have to go above and beyond to clarify they still like the actress or the designer so they don't offend anyone. In the end, Melissa said, 'We're talking about something very shallow. We're talking about fashion and yes, people do sartorial messaging and things like that, but we're talking about art.'
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Melissa Rivers marries attorney Steve Mitchel after pair lost home in LA fires
Melissa Rivers marries attorney Steve Mitchel after pair lost home in LA fires Show Caption Hide Caption Wedding tips: Guide to planning a wedding with AI Save the date and your sanity with these wedding planning tips. Problem Solved Melissa Rivers is a wed woman. The television host and daughter to late comedian Joan Rivers tied the knot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, over the weekend, marrying attorney Steve Mitchel. After the pair lost their home in the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles at the start of the year, the ceremony was almost canceled, Rivers revealed to People magazine. "I was tapping out, like 'I just can't do this,'" Rivers, 57, told the outlet. "That's when my friends stepped in and said, 'We are doing this.' Because a number of people who are coming lost their homes too, and they were like, 'Thank God we have this to look forward to.'" Along with many Southern Californians, Rivers and Mitchel were forced to abruptly evacuate their home in January after warnings about the raging Palisades fire were issued, she shared in an interview with USA TODAY at the time. The couple relocated a total of three times during the evacuation process, eventually taking shelter at a business friend's property. "I truly don't believe that anyone who is not here and who has not gone through this can comprehend what it's like. And I'm fully now hitting angry," Rivers told USA TODAY. "I have had two cries. One was about five minutes, one was about 40 minutes. I don't have time for it. No one has time to wallow." 'No one has time to wallow': Melissa Rivers reflects on losing her home in LA wildfires Luckily, the ceremony went on without a hitch Saturday, with the pair exchanging vows in front of 150 guests, People reports. "It's really something that I needed at a time in my life where everything felt like it had been taken away again," Rivers said, reflecting on the nuptials. The tragedy also had the silver lining of bringing the couple closer together. "It's very comforting to find out you do crisis so well together," she told People. It was in the midst of that crisis that Rivers came up with the idea of a mock wedding. "We were staying in the guest room at our friend's house, and Melissa came with the idea of let's exchange our rings," Mitchel told the outlet. "She said, let's just do our vows right here. At first, I thought it was silly, but we did it, and it just brought us so close." "We took horrible selfies," Rivers joked. "But then we wore our rings for a couple of days, and then we put them back in the box for the real day." Rivers also made sure there were special touches at the ceremony to honor her late mother. The couple doled out petite golden bee pins for all the guests to wear, People reports − Joan's inspiration and favorite animal. "When we were planning it, our goal was simple: throw a party and have a wedding ceremony break out somewhere in the middle," she told the outlet. "And you know what? We nailed it. People were meeting, laughing, and by the end of the night, strangers were acting like old friends." This is Rivers' second marriage. She shares one son with ex-husband John Endicott whom she was married to from 1998 to 2003. Rivers and Mitchel got engaged in 2023 after meeting at a Didi Hirsch Mental Health and Suicide Prevention event. Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY
