Melissa Rivers Discusses Her Mother Joan’s Passing

Melissa Rivers sat down with Matt Lauer on Today and discussed the circumstances surrounding her mother Joan’s death back in September. The legendary comedian and actress died at the age of 81, a week after what should have been a minor endoscopic procedure went wrong.

There have been allegations of malpractice against Yorkville Endoscopy, the New York medical clinic where Rivers had the procedure. Lauer asked her daughter which alleged misdeed bothered her the most. Rivers answered, “There was a story circulating that, during the procedure, the doctors were taking selfies of themselves, with my mother, while they were working on my mom.”

Rivers has filed a lawsuit against Yorkville Endoscopy and the doctors who operated on her mother. As Today reported earlier, Rivers took said doctors neglected her vital signs and didn’t have a properly equipped crash cart.

An anesthesiologist who works at the clinic has denied allegations of wrongdoing and Yorkville claims patient safety is their highest priority, saying they have crash carts on hand for every procedure.

Rivers isn’t buying it, saying her mother’s death “was 100 percent preventable.” She continued, “Yes, it was a tragic accident. If something happens and everyone does everything properly, things happen…When it’s error after error after error after error after behaviors that you cannot even begin to get your head around, you get mad.”