Melissa Rivers has spoken out about her mother's omission for the 'In Memoriam' tribute at Sunday's Oscars. Many of Joan Rivers' fans felt that the late comedian should have been included in the segment – and now Melissa has shared her thoughts. "It would have been nice, especially considering the impact she had on the awards season, but (Melissa's son) Cooper and I have been overwhelmed with support and love over my mum's passing and we choose to focus on that," Melissa, 47, wrote in a statement posted on Joan’s fan page.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMelissa Rivers has responded to Joan Rivers' omission from the Oscars
The Academy issued its own statement on Monday in response to criticism over Joan's exclusion. "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," it read. "She is, however, included in our In Memoriam gallery on Oscar.com." Fashion Police host Joan passed away on 4 September at the age of 81 following complications while undergoing throat surgery. Although her silver screen appearances consisted mostly of cameo roles – including Spaceballs and The Smurfs – she had had a decades-long career in entertainment that included her ground-breaking Oscar red carpet interviews. As such, many fans felt she should have been included in the memorial tribute.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMeryl Streep presented the Academy's In Memoriam tribute
While the Oscars didn't recognise the star during the telecast, Melissa aired a tribute video during E!'s Live From The Red Carpet Oscars pre-show. "It's hard to believe it was 20 years ago that my mother and I stood on this very red carpet for the first time," she said during the clip, which aired highlights from Joan's red carpet Oscars interviews. "My mum asked questions that nobody else dared to ask." Other notable omissions from the entertainment world during Sunday's In Memoriam tribute included stage star Elaine Stritch and The Last Boy Scout actor Taylor Negron.
