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Melissa Rivers Suing Over Joan Rivers’ Death: “I’m Angry, I Need Answers”

Melissa Rivers and Joan Rivers
Melissa Rivers explains why she's suing over Joan's death

Melissa Rivers filed her multimillion dollar lawsuit against the NYC clinic that she says was responsible for Joan Rivers’ death because if not, she says she’ll never know what went wrong.

Related: PHOTOS: Joan remembered

“We live in this weird time where to find out what really happened, you have to sue, otherwise nobody is going to turn over records,” the late comedienne’s only daughter told Wendy Williams during an interview on Tuesday, May 12. “I want to find out what happened. I need to know, I need answers. You have no choice but to sue.”

As previously reported, the Fashion Police producer filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the clinic, Yorkville Endoscopy, and the doctors who performed surgery on Joan prior to her September 2014 death at age 81.

Related: PHOTOS: Joan's biggest fashion disasters

“I’m angry,” she rightfully added to Williams. “Parts of me wants answers right now, but there is a process and you have to sort of just grit your teeth and hang on for the process and realize you cannot make it go any faster." 

After filing the lawsuit, Melissa told Us Weekly that it was a hard point to come to. "Filing this lawsuit was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make. What ultimately guided me was my unwavering belief that no family should ever have to go through what my mother, Cooper, and I have been through,” she explained to Us. “The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible. Not only did my mother deserve better, every patient deserves better. It is my goal to make sure that this kind of horrific medical treatment never happens to anyone again."

Related: PHOTOS: Joan's life and career

Joan went to the clinic for what was intended to be a routine procedure. The Fashion Police host and funnywoman died following an unplanned throat biopsy which caused her to stop breathing.

Following the loss of her mother, Melissa also had to deal with the fallout of E!’s Fashion Police after Joan’s replacement Kathy Griffin exited the show, along with co-host Kelly Osbourne.

“We don’t know, we’ve just started discussions,” Melissa, a show producer said after Williams started suggesting celebs who should join the talk show’s panel, including Khloe Kardashian and Kimora Lee Simmons. “All of your suggestions are on all of our lists, you’re dead on. I don’t know who it’s going to be, but right now…we’re slowly starting to figure out what would work,” Melissa explained.

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