Joan River's daughter Melissa shares how her parents' death helped her cope with losing home in LA fire
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a heart-wrenching yet inspiring interview with People, Melissa Rivers, the 56-year-old television host shared how she’s coping after losing her Los Angeles home in the ongoing wildfires that have devastated the region.
Despite a lifetime of navigating profound personal tragedies, including the untimely deaths of both her parents, Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg, Melissa admitted this latest loss left her reeling, Daily Mail.
Joan River's daughter reflects on the 'shock' of losing her home to LA fires
"I've only had two little cries so far," she revealed. "One for five minutes, and the other for about 20."
The fast-moving fires, which have claimed 24 lives and forced over 180,000 people to evacuate, consumed nearly all of Melissa's possessions in a matter of hours.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she said, "I'm one of those people who has twice gone through the experience of going to bed one way and then you wake up with your life upside down. First with my father, and then when I lost my mom."
Melissa recounted the chaos that unfolded as flames encroached on her home.
She was filming a segment for QVC when her son Cooper and her assistant alerted her to the advancing fire.
Immediately, she sprang into action, calling her fiance, Steve Mitchel, to rush home, and gathering crucial documents along with supplies for her beloved pets.
"It's crazy to look down and realize that everything you own in life has been stuffed into three LL Bean Tote bags," she mused.
"It's all just so surreal. I think I'm still in shock."
In the rush to evacuate, Melissa managed to grab two sentimental items: her mother Joan Rivers’ Emmy Award and a cherished photo of her father, Edgar Rosenberg.
“In hindsight, you want to say we probably could have had more time to get stuff together,” she admitted. “But in the moment we did exactly what we were supposed to do, which was just go. Because when they say go, you go.”
Melissa Rivers mourns loss of priceless family keepsakes
Melissa took to Instagram to announce the loss of her home, writing: “My family and I have safely evacuated, and we are deeply grateful to be unharmed. I am heartbroken by the devastation caused by the fires, which have tragically destroyed my home.”
She also expressed gratitude to the firefighters and first responders who risked their lives to battle the flames.
Yet, amidst her gratitude, the weight of what was lost is unmistakable.
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"My mom's favorite sweater. I had her bathrobe and my dad's bathrobe," Rivers lamented.
"Everybody is like, 'What about her wardrobe?' But I'm like, I lost the only three things of theirs that I kept in my house because they reminded me so much of them."
For Melissa, perseverance has become second nature, shaped by the tragedies that have punctuated her life.
Her father, Edgar Rosenberg, died by suicide in 1987 following a battle with clinical depression.
Decades later, she faced another devastating loss when her mother, Joan Rivers, passed away in 2014 due to complications from a routine throat procedure.
Melissa Rivers on 'going through hell'
In her darkest moments, Melissa clings to her family motto, famously borrowed from Winston Churchill: "If you're going through hell, keep going."
"There'll be time to wallow later," she said.
"Right now is not the time that I am capable of feeling sorry for myself. I know it is going to hit me at some point, but right now I don't have time to let it hit me."
One surprising ally in her journey through this ordeal has been her trademark dark sense of humor, which has kept those around her laughing despite the circumstances.
"That's my superpower," she quipped, acknowledging that humor remains her lifeline even in the bleakest of times.
For now, Rivers is focused on finding a new place to call home and ensuring the safety of her loved ones.
She’s currently staying with friends after two subsequent evacuations from temporary residences.
"I have no clue about anything right now," she confessed. "My only concern right now is getting settled into a new place and out of our friend's hair, getting the animals back together."
