Today is a sad day for fans of comedy. Joan Rivers health appears to be failing, and rumors are flying that the legendary comic could be dying. This update comes after Rivers stopped breathing during a surgery. While claims that Joan may be near death appear to be unsubstantiated, the situation has been confirmed as being bleak.
The 81-year-old comic who made history for her controversial standup now finds herself lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Rivers was reportedly undergoing throat surgery at a New York medical facility, when she suddenly stopped breathing.
The trouble occurred around 9:30 this morning, according to TMZ. The gossip site is reporting that Joan also went into cardiac or respiratory arrest, telling readers:
"We're told an emergency call was placed to 911 at 9:39 AM ET and the caller said, 'We have somebody in either cardiac or respiratory arrest.'"
Moments later, Joan was reportedly rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center. Sources at the scene claim that health care workers are waiting on Joan's daughter, Melissa, to arrive, before deciding how to continue with her treatment.
Overall, things are not looking good for the comedic legend. According to New York Daily News, Joan's friends and family are concerned:
"'She's not conscious, but she's stable,' said an obviously distraught Graham Reed, the comedian's assistant. Reed refused to provide any details when approached by a reporter...But the family source said friends were gathering Thursday inside Rivers' apartment."
Joan was recently in the news for making controversial comments surrounding the ongoing conflicts in Israel and Gaza. When asked about her thoughts on the number of Gazans who have been killed, Rivers is quoted as saying (via NBC News):
"Ask Colin Powell. When you declare war, you declare war. They started it. We don't count who's dead. You're dead. You deserve to be dead. You started it. [Many of those killed] were the ones with very low IQs."
