party chat

Joan Rivers to Offend a Different Coast for Awhile

At the premiere after-party for the new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, the titular comedian was savoring her last moments of New York nightlife for a while. She’ll be leaving her Upper East Side penthouse this summer to move in with her daughter, her grandson, and Melissa’s boyfriend in California; the resultant nagging, bickering, and kvetching will be captured on tape for the family’s upcoming WE reality show, Mother Knows Best (which will premiere in December). Her accommodations are already being prepared. “I call it the Kunta Kinte suite,” shared Joan, without checking who was in earshot at the party, held at Elie Tahari’s Soho home. “I don’t even have a regular sink. It’s a hair-washing sink for Melissa. Just wait until the diva arrives.”

The idea to head west came when Melissa made a call saying that she missed her. Why are cameras necessary then? Replied Joan, “I’ll do anything for money.” If you’re a Californian and you want to get a glimpse of her while she’s out there, the best place to look will be the side of the road. Says Rivers, “I drive so badly the police are always pulling me over and giving me sobriety tests.”

For more on Rivers, make sure to read New York’s revealing, in-depth profile, “Joan Rivers Always Knew She Was Funny,” from this week’s issue.

Joan Rivers to Offend a Different Coast for Awhile