Joan Rivers has died in hospital in New York, her daughter Melissa has confirmed. She was 81-years-old.
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The comic suffered a heart attack in a doctor's surgery last Thursday and was admitted to the Mount Sinai Hospital.
Joan Rivers (1933-2014)
The day before her death, Rivers was moved out of intensive care and her daughter said she was "being kept comfortable", but her condition deteriorated.
Rivers had one daughter, Melissa, and one grandson, Cooper. Her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, died in 1987.
Melissa Rivers said in a statement:
It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers. She passed peacefully at 1:17pm surrounded by family and close friends. My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother.
Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated. My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon.
Tributes to the star have already begun to pour in from Joan's showbiz friends and admirers on Twitter.
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