Why Joan Rivers is the Ultimate Survivor

Joan Rivers has survived getting kicked off late night, a feud with Johnny Carson, and the death of her husband. In light of her recent hospitalization, ET is looking back at the moments that made Joan the ultimate survivor.

[@cornflkeboy1]

This woman's determination is an inspiration! Miss you Joan :(

[@robertmejico]

Thank you for putting this together, Entertainment! Most people don't know the kind heart Joan has and the struggles she's dealt with.

[@JessikaBean]

It was so soon after Robin Williams' passing, everybody was still numb and in a lot of shock. It saddens me that Joan didn't really get much recognition. There was a lot of disbelief.

[@paleobc65]

no i think it's because robin williams seemed so happy and committed suicide

[@bain.mp4]

RIP Joan we'll never forget you ❤❤

[@trevmac8362]

The Catfish is dead...good riddence

[@TheChrisken]

DANA8 ah when this one finally drops dead noone will even mention him, ppl hated joan cus she told the truth, and alot oof ppl who have no confedence always try to hurt ppl on the most viscious way just because they are scared and they don't got any talent, and this trev mac is just the same, just don't respond to his nonsense and don't give these ppl there 15 mins of fame they desperatly looking for and it will all stop automaticly

[@jonathanhughes4786]

Thank you for not being an a- hole and being sweet

[@maBoyaBDonLamron]

Burn in Hell (BIH JOAN)

[@trevmac8362]

you tell them willis

[@warchild2005]

Come back to us sweetie we need you......follow the laughter

[@amarilloyelou3539]

i feel like somebody close to me passed.. im heartbroken, im so sad i cant imagine how Melissa feels she was her best friend... i loved to see her reality and know her real amazing self, brave, caring touching funny, moving, is not gonna be the same without Joan, RIP, gone to soon

[@glennfromthebronx]

amarillo yelou I met Joan and her terrier, Spike (briefly) about a dozen time from @1990-1992 when I was waiting for my BxM3 bus//madison and 68th in NYC when I was going for my Master's in SPecial Ed. from Hunter College//lexington ave.. . She never seemed to have enough tissues for Spike's "little poopies". 9You ever nees a tissue...ask a soecial ed. eacher! lmao Melissa was sometimes with them...off for a run in Central PArk...told Joan once she had JUST missed meeting Shimon Peres, the then President of Israel (and his wife and small security team) by a few minutes. I told her he MIGHT be looking for HER...after her threat a few years earlier to dig up half the trees in Israel (donations she and Edgar had made..."plant a tree in Israel") to cover her bankruptcy costs... She laughed her head off..."Oooh...you remember that old joke!" (from her WHAT BECOMES A SEMI-LEGEND MOST album. She was a pisser...

[@shelleshell4]

RIP beautiful spirit. Thank you for all the laughter. Brave soul, courageous woman, trailblazer.

[@chrischarles9218]

Hard working lady. Bless her

[@mikekulyk4359]

I admire a woman that many, many years ago was already taking women side....Good Job Joan, Thanks in the name of the women in the world, you made a difference.

[@EvanHyland]

i'm really gonna miss joan rivers, she always made me laugh so hard #ripjoanrivers

[@historylvr8000]

Devastating Loss and a True Survivor. She re-invented herself every Decade and that's true Talent! Respected her no nonsense way of "telling it like it is. " It saddens me to read the negative & insensitive comments some people are making. Yes she insulted and was abrasive, but that's what a real comic does! In any case someone's death is nothing to rejoice about, have Respect and some Decency. It's really sad how our society is becoming so desensitized to Death and personal tragedy. If u didn't like her at least respect her Family's grief! R.I.P Joan, u will Never Be Forgotten! ! ♥

[@kkoun]

Truly admire her

[@amandajaynesparrow3591]

She was beautiful inside and out R.I.P Joan Rivers we miss you and love you

[@copacetic9018]

Joan Rivers was so ace. Fuck the trolls.

[@TressBraga]

ET's best work ever. Thank you.

[@mattbernabe]

She'll forever be the ultimate survivor and inspiration. Carson wanted to destroy her career, but Joan was determined to get her career back. Once she passed away, she was bigger than ever. She had a New York Times best selling book, 'Fashion Police' was number one in the ratings, her comedy tour was selling out. She was doing fantastically. She was the greatest.

[@michaelcubria]

RIP Joan, you're missed.

[@dtmaravillajr]

Pray for Joan.

[@trevmac8362]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@robinsiler2420]

Joan had such class, she was an unstoppable force and stood by her principles. She was just brilliant and a phenomenal momma too. I love that she could roll with the punches and always come out on top. The women that have come after her don’t even come close.

[@zachthebulldog]

Love her so much. Thank you for this.

[@serenequeen8973]

I always found her hilarious and she made me laugh when I didn't think I would ever laugh again xoxo rest in peace Joan xoxo

[@robertcroes5827]

Met JOAN years ago, She was a DOLL!! Everybody in Town enjoyed having HER Here!! Held Hands Talking with Her like She was Family, She was an ORIGINAL!! I Hope Where Ever She is Now, that She has Found Joy! ...

[@ronoc627]

I miss her madly... She was so funny when everything was sad.. She'd have some great material on the state of the world now if only we could hear it...

[@bryanedney2723]

Her Story gave me inspiration! If she can do it, we all can do it!!

[@yonce3363]

Joan is real person. People bashing her dont know wjere shes been tru

[@breezy501]

Please stay.

[@leejanderson2]

She such an inspiration to me.. Thanks Joan.. Please .. appreciate what you have always...... Stay Humble!....people...!!!!!

[@100domathon]

Joan Rivers and Carol Burnett were did help open doors for women in comedy and before them was Lucille Ball. Joan Rivers preserved through so many tragedies. She and her daughter stuck together. Complete inspiration

[@rudylabsilica2286]

For a women of her age and profession to refuse to sink and was determined to live life the way she saw fit for her and her daughter - she has the fighting spirit and I admire and respect her for that.

[@SM-vb8fj]

Maybe I just don't understand the behind the scenes of it all, but I feel like Johnny Carson's response (the banning) was unjustified. Why ban someone that you have an enjoyable working relationship with for wanting to move ahead in their career in the completely expected fashion? If you are offered your own show, you take it. Joan is ambitious and it is completely reasonable that she would continue on to do her own show. Maybe it wasn't the most loyal thing to do, but I don't think she did anything to warrant a f*cking TWENTY-FIVE YEAR ban. Johnny would have done the same in her position, I'm sure. And the perils of being a woman in comedy are real. It's of course much better than it was, but still. MANY times I've had guys tell me that they simply don't think female comedians are funny. What are they basing this on? A few women that aren't funny that they've seen in passing while flipping the channels on TV? I don't think all male comedians are unfunny because of 5, 10, even 20 bad stand-up performances done by men. I hate it so much when people generalize. I hate to say this but, like Joan pointed out, the criticism on a female comedian is often more severe. Women aren't allowed to be gross or raunchy in their humour, because it's unladylike, or apparently it's a "gimmick", but when men do it, it's perfectly acceptable. But if a woman doesn't do anything shocking, then she isn't interesting and no one would pay attention to her. RIP Joan, you were really a bad ass, I can't express how much I idolize this woman.

[@SM-vb8fj]

+Emilia Damholt hmm ah i see. that does make more sense.

[@GROOVYJOJO]

I hear unfortunately mr carson did not wish her well...he felt abandoned however to not reach out to her after edgars suicide imo show a side of johnny id prefer to forget and just remember the good times. Mr carson was a complex man

[@yantslovieky6447]

The fact that her name was not on the list for the hosts of the night show and it was given by the vp of the network, that gives her more reason to take the offer.

[@frankjohnson5936]

watched her since I was 8,i grew to love her!

[@AG-ub7sg]

Joan Rivers is a legend and she’ll never be forgotten.she was one of the first feminist in Hollywood who brought up women’s issues in society in her comedy when there was no talk of it ! And her career suffered because male oriented system couldn’t accept a successful woman

[@honesty5964]

My favorite comedian ... was always relevant and better every time... missed always

[@jpizzle990]

RIP Joan! Love you forever!

[@nexypointy]

I love you Joan...I'm sad

[@mp5249]

Carson treated her like crap. Pure sexism.

[@paulwalker6297]

A wonderful lady with an amazing talent & a great personality who is sadly missed. BUT, Joan will always be with us in both heart and soul. I can think of NO other artist, either alive or no longer with us, who repeatedly leaves me with tears of laughter

[@hkfljj9462]

god i miss her

[@troyguidry3775]

JOAN WAS ATTRACTIVE BACK THEN

[@chevydude658]

I can’t believe they didn’t do their homework for this. Her show wasn’t sinking in the ratings. Her show didn’t bomb.

[@LitZena]

Fuck the world isn't quite right without Joan; something is off it's axis

[@sfden50]

2 years later, I still feel this way.

[@harrietmakena4066]

RIP Joan

[@ucha10]

Later on she was told that they didn't loose money on her fox show, it was all due to personal reasons. Also she left for fox when she found out she wasn't on the short list to replace Carson. Why would she stay? Did he expect everyone to be forever devoted to him like an indentured servant?

[@kerrylord2576]

Yes that why Joan left fox because she had to sack her husband and Joan wouldn't do that so they both left and he killed himself.ripped Jonas heart out in the process. Xxxxx not to mention his daughter's heart

[@kerrylord2576]

I love her so much ,I didn't know her of her unit she died what a shame

[@MsDoxma]

She was a doll before all the plastic surgeries. What the hell?

[@zmanchar1]

DoxyLady I agree... look at how good she looked then. She had some work, but not too much. But in the last 6 yrears she became scary. I miss her though she brought so much laughs to me when I was a teenager. I met her too I loved her.

[@jimkreider9997]

She was the best and the hell with Carson

[@PcPilot82]

RIP

[@Kvevli0]

I think Joan would've been the host of late night after Johnny Carson's retirement if she didn't leave for fox.

[@mp5249]

Sigurd Kvevli She left because she was out of the running for the Tonight show

[@kerrylord2576]

I didn't know of Joan until she died what a shame Joan was good ! I thought she was potty in the mouth but she changed with the times ,what a fantastic fabulous person ,the hurdles she jumped in business @ personal, I can't get enough of Joan, xxx xxx . 💕💕♨️💋😎🎯🎯🎯🎯💋💋😎

[@queenvibes3067]

My idol

[@leejanderson2]

I wonder if she really really eat "ketchup soup" and really hopping out of Windows??? cuz I know the feeling of that......... it sucks it sucks this time it's like if you can't be made to be real smart and had everyone thinks that you're not trying and little do they know it's the rest of us that are trying too hard.. some I just naturally know shit . it's crazy but it's true some of us are just not capable of wrapping my mind around certain things otherwise we'd all be scientists think about it people we don't all how to operate..on people .do brain surgery....how come....how does a four-year-old know how to play a piano and Chopin???.

[@rabibengali5811]

she didnt eat kethup soup-

[@veronagomez9073]

Love you joan

[@jakre10]

She's ok now

[@m.e.d.7997]

Missed.

[@fredcraven1699]

This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen

[@1978TVP]

She desperately searched for a job, why she did not go to rake the leaves in the park. In the end, no job is disgraceful.

[@lunarlies3115]

girl....you look strange in that blue dress

[@maloperverso8118]

What happened to her face!?

[@chenruro4668]

its fate.. i think Carlson wanted to mold Rivers as seed. And Carlson knew Rivers wasnt ready as late nite host. Had she turned well. the world would n't have Jay Leno : )

[@freeziez]

but she's dead

[@tailormade3072]

Ding dong the witch is dead

[@christophercruz1513]

Overrated