Joan Rivers Hospitalized After She Stopped Breathing During Procedure (Update)

The comedian stopped breathing while undergoing a throat operation in New York

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UPDATED, Thursday 11:38 a.m. PT: An E! spokesperson told TheWrap: “E! can confirm that Joan was rushed to Mt. Sinai hospital and her daughter Melissa Rivers is en route to her side. E!, ‘Fashion Police’ and NBCUniversal continue to send thoughts and prayers to Joan, Melissa and their entire family.”

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Joan Rivers was hospitalized on Thursday after she stopped breathing during surgery on her vocal cords at a New York City doctor’s office.

The 81-year-old comedian, and star of E!’s “Fashion Police,” was rushed to Mount Sinai hospital after a 911 caller reported “somebody in either cardiac or respiratory arrest.”

“This morning, Joan Rivers was taken to The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she is being attended to,” Sid Dinsay, spokesman for The Mount Sinai Hospital, told TheWrap. “Her family wants to thank everybody for their outpouring of love and support. We will provide an update on her condition as it becomes available.”

Also read: Joan Rivers Reacts To ‘View’ Exits: They Should’ve Kept Elisabeth Hasselbeck

A spokeswoman for the New York City Police Department told TheWrap that an 81-year-old woman was transported by EMS from a doctor’s office on 93rd street to Mount Sinai in critical condition.

Rivers’ publicist and manager have yet to respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Also read: Joan Rivers Is Not Sorry for CNN Walkout: Every Question Was Accusatory

Rivers, an unapologetic Brooklyn-born comic known for cracking bawdy jokes about celebrities and her own appearance, recently made headlines for blasting supporters of Palestinians involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza. Before that, she walked out on a CNN interview after the anchor asked about a fur coat she was wearing on the cover of her new book, “Diary of a Mad Diva,” her 10th book published.

Rivers rose to fame in 1965 as one of Johnny Carson’s frequent guests on “The Tonight Show.” Their relationship, however, was shattered when she launched rival late-night program “The Late Show” in 1986.

See also: David Letterman and Joan Rivers Reenact Her CNN Walkout (Video)

The comic went on to host daytime talk show “The Joan Rivers Show,” which earned her a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1989. The show was nominated for several other Emmys until it ended its run in 1993.

Rivers has had several comedy specials, had her career chronicled in the 2010 documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” and stars in a WE reality series with her daughter, Melissa Rivers.

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