Internationally recognized comedian Joan Rivers, 81, died yesterday, Sept. 5 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.  According to The New York Times, Rivers went to the hospital last Thursday after losing consciousness during a procedure related to her vocal cords, and by Tuesday, River’s was on life support. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

“Joan Rivers brought a very strong sense of self-confidence to our society,” Megan Nuzzo ’15 said. “Although people didn’t always agree with what Rivers had to say, she confidently expressed her opinions and was who she was.”

Known for her raunchy humor and many plastic surgery procedures, Rivers began her career in the 1960’s doing stand up comedy. She went on to appear on many hit television shows including “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Fashion Police,” and “Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best?”. Back in 2010, Rivers was featured in the documentary titled “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” in which her life story was unfolded for audiences of all ages.

In light of the news of her death, celebrities took to Twitter to express their condolences over the comedian’s tragic passing. Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted yesterday, “A legend, a friend, a mentor, an icon, and wildly funny. One of a kind. RIP #Joan Rivers.”

Eli Debenham ’17 has met Rivers multiple times as his mother often wrote material for Rivers and is co-executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live,” a show she appeared on frequently.

“I loved that [Joan] was a huge celebrity and a household name, but would sit down and have a proper conversation with you, asking about your life and remembering details from the last time she saw you,” Debenham said. “The first thing she ever said to me was, ‘How old are you, and what do you want to do with your life?’ which I thought was so true to her character.”

While most comedians are only able to communicate with a certain age group, Rivers was popular amongst a wide audience. From our grandparents, to our parents, to the current generation, Rivers was able to make people of all ages laugh.