U.S. comedian Joan Rivers remains on life support, in serious condition

USPA News - American comedian Joan Rivers, who is best known for `The Joan Rivers Show` in the early 1990s and more recently the E! celebrity fashion show `Fashion Police,` remains in a serious condition while on life support at a New York City hospital, her daughter said on Tuesday. "On behalf of my mother and our family, we are extremely grateful for all the love and support we`ve received. At this time she does remain on life support," Melissa Rivers, the daughter of Joan Rivers, said in an e-mailed statement.

"I know my mother would be overwhelmed by the continued outpouring of kindness and I want to thank everyone for keeping us in their prayers." Rivers, 81, was undergoing surgery on her vocal cords at Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic in New York`s Upper East Side last Thursday when she suddenly stopped breathing. Emergency services responded to the clinic and rushed her to Mount Sinai Hospital while in a critical condition, though the comedian`s daughter later described her condition as `serious.` "We are keeping our fingers crossed," Melissa Rivers said on Sunday. Rivers rose to prominence in the late 1960s, first as a guest on `The Tonight Show` before launching her own rival program, `The Late Show.` She also hosted the successful `Joan Rivers Show` between 1989 and 1993, which earned her a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. More recently, Rivers co-hosted the E! celebrity fashion show `Fashion Police` and starred alongside her daughter Melissa in reality TV series `Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best"`.