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Joan Rivers
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Joan Rivers smiles at an event, wearing a black jacket with a patterned lapel. The background features logos and text on a white backdrop.
Joan Rivers, 2011.

Joan Rivers

American entertainer
Also known as: Joan Alexandra Molinsky
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Joan Rivers (born June 8, 1933, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died September 4, 2014, New York, New York) was an American entertainer who launched her career in show business in the 1960s as a raspy-voiced no-holds-barred nightclub and television comic and who was especially known for skewering both herself and celebrities. After graduating from Barnard College, Rivers joined (1961) the Chicago comedy troupe Second City and performed in nightclubs. Her big break came in 1965, when...

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