Melissa Rivers says it “would have been nice” for the Academy to have included her late mother, Joan, a Hollywood icon, in its “In Memoriam” Oscar tribute.
“It would have been nice, especially considering the impact she had on the awards season, but [my son] Cooper and I have been overwhelmed with support and love over my mom’s passing and we choose to focus on that,” Melissa shared on her mother’s Facebook page on Monday night.
A number of fans and celebrities were outraged after Joan Rivers was notably missing from the awards show’s annual tribute to members of the industry who have died in the last year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences offered up a thin explanation for why Joan was excluded on Sunday night, with a rep telling Page Six, “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.”
The Oscar-night staple, who died in September at the age of 81, is credited with inventing the phrase “Who are you wearing?” — now a must-ask question on awards-show red carpets. She also starred in movies including “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and wrote and directed “Rabbit Test,” a 1978 film.
Joan’s “Fashion Police” co-hosts Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic expressed their upset over the exclusion, while past Oscar host and Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg discussed the “In Memoriam” omissions of Joan and the legendary Elaine Stritch during Monday’s episode of “The View.” “Everybody can stand to allow these folks, who have spent a lifetime in our industry, to be recognized,” Goldberg said.
Melissa also paid tribute to her late mom in a video for E!, which hosted Joan’s show “Fashion Police,” that highlights some of Joan’s most daring and funniest red-carpet moments.