Comedienne is now in stable condition at the hospital

Aug 29, 2014 07:55 GMT  ·  By
Joan Rivers is in a coma after she goes into cardiac and respiratory arrest during routine surgery
   Joan Rivers is in a coma after she goes into cardiac and respiratory arrest during routine surgery

Legendary comedienne Joan Rivers, 81, is now at the hospital, where she’s been placed in a medically induced coma after she went into cardiac and respiratory arrest during a routine surgical intervention, it has emerged. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to stable.

Because Rivers is one of the most “plastic” celebrities out there, which she owns up to whenever she’s asked about it, you’d be excused if you assumed that the complication appeared whilst she was having more work done.

After all, one of her most famous quotes does go something like this: “I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die, they will donate my body to Tupperware.”

However, that was not the case, Entertainment Tonight reports: she was actually having a routine endoscopy at a private clinic, when she just stopped breathing. She was then rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she’s been put in a medically induced coma.

“I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for my mother,” her daughter Melissa says in a statement to the publication. “She is resting comfortably and is with our family. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.”

E! News has more details on what happened at that clinic, with a source revealing that Joan was under sedation during the endoscopy, but “it is unclear what medication was used.” TMZ says that the legendary star didn’t just stop breathing, she also went into cardiac arrest.

“They were putting a scope down her throat to check her vocal cords. She stopped breathing. This was not major surgery,” a source says for E!.

Just one day before the interventions, Rivers had been making appearances all over town, promoting her most recent book, “Diary of a Mad Diva.” Her family, including Melissa, has flown in to be by her side while she recovers from this serious health scare.

For the time being, these are all the details available, but we should note that Joan is getting a lot of well-wishes and prayers from fans and fellow celebrities, who took to Twitter to send her and her family words of encouragement.

She might be one of the most controversial celebrities of our time, but Joan Rivers is definitely loved, and you can see that from the outpour of support she’s receiving. She’s also a famously tough gal, so everyone who’s sending her prayers is thinking she will be just fine.

Keep an eye on this space for more details.