Joan Rivers

Comedian and actress Joan Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinski on June 8, 1933. A winner of an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony, Rivers is considered a comic pioneer and was known for her bawdy and blunt comedic persona.

Rivers first tried her hand at comedy in the New York scene, alongside contemporaries Woody Allen and Richard Pryor. She gained attention as a guest on the The Tonight Show, hosted at the time by Johnny Carson. Rivers went on to host The Late Show with Joan Rivers, the first late night network television talk show hosted by a woman. She won an Emmy for her work on the show.

The comedian later became known for her interviews with celebrities at award show red carpets, and was a host of the E! fashion criticism show Fashion Police. She often landed in hot water for her comments about other celebrities.

Rivers married James Sanger in 1956, but the marriage only lasted six months. She went on to marry producer Edgar Rosenberg, with whom she had daughter Melissa Rivers. The couple stayed together for twenty-two years, with Rosenberg committing suicide just days after Rivers requested a separation. In the 90s, she dated minor politician Orin Lehman for eight years.

Joan Rivers died on September 4, 2014 when she experienced complications during an outpatient throat surgery.