Melissa Rivers is rising above. After her mom Joan Rivers was left out of the 2015 Oscars In Memoriam segment on Sunday, Feb. 22, fans on Twitter were outraged on her behalf. But Melissa, for one, is taking the high road.
In a statement posted to her mother's Facebook page on Feb. 23, the Fashion Police producer, 47, said that while she would have appreciated an acknowledgment of Joan's passing during the show, she takes comfort in the recent outpouring of affection for her family.
"It would have been nice, especially considering the impact she had on the awards season," her statement read, "but Cooper and I have been overwhelmed with support and love over my mom's passing and we choose to focus on that."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for its part, explained the omission to The Hollywood Reporter, saying in a statement, "Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year's Oscar show. She is, however, included in our In Memoriam gallery on Oscar.com."
To be fair, Rivers — who died in September at age 81 following complications from a medical procedure — was known more for comedy and TV work than for film. However, she did have small roles in beloved flicks including The Muppets Take Manhattan and Spaceballs, and she also wrote and directed the 1978 movie Rabbit Test, starring Billy Crystal. Beyond that, she was a fixture on the red carpet at the Oscars and other awards shows.
Those who were featured in the 2015 In Memoriam segment included Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Mickey Rooney, Edward Herrmann, Maya Angelou, Ruby Dee, and Robin Williams.
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