Joan Rivers, the “Queen of the Gays,” Has Died At 81

The self-proclaimed “queen of the gays,” Joan Rivers, the woman who could say (and has said) anything she wants, has died.

The groundbreaking comedienne became a household name in 1968 when she first appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Since then, Rivers skyrocketed to fame, wearing more hats than a mannequin at Saks: she’s won Emmys, been nominated for Tony Awards, been a New York Times bestselling author, fashion critic, and a jewelry designer. However, Rivers is best known for her always funny, always politically incorrect, standup comedy routines where she took a no-holds-barred approach to insulting just about everyone and everything. She was scheduled to make a local appearance in Atlantic City in November.

Rivers, who stopped breathing last Friday during a minor throat procedure at a clinic, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. Reports surfaced that Rivers was put into a medically-induced coma and then was later put on life support.

Rivers recently officiated two gay weddings in New York.