New York City's Temple Emanu-El; Joan Rivers (inset)
All Access Photo/Splash News Online
09/07/2014 AT 11:45 AM EDT
As crowds of fans packed the sidewalks outside of Temple Emanu-El on New York's Upper East Side Sunday morning, intimates, relatives and celebrity friends of Joan Rivers began to trickle in to the private funeral to pay their last respects to the comedian, who died Thursday at age 81.
Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick were among the early arrivals, along with Howard Stern, Hoda Kotb, Andy Cohen, Whoopi Goldberg and Diane Sawyer, while Ozzy Osbourne and Kathy Griffin were already inside.
They were also joined by Donald Trump, Joy Behar, Michael Kors, Alan Cumming, Barbara Walters, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kathie Lee Gifford and Rivers's sister E! Fashion Police hosts, Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic.
The service started with a performance by the New York City Gay Man's Chorus, and then opening prayers delivered by Rabbi Joshua Davidson. Broadway's Audra McDonald then gave an emotional performance, which left the guests in tears.
Howard Stern then gave not only a laudatory speech, but an emotional one that still managed to elicit laughter in the cavernous house of worship. He called Rivers "the best friend in the world … a big sister ... a crazy aunt at Bar Mitzvah."
Said Stern, "She was responsible for putting the red carpet into prime time."
The back cover of the program handed out to attendees read, simply:
"Can we talk?"
"Who are you wearing?"
" ... Because I'm a funny person ... "
– JOAN RIVERS
MORE TO COME
• Reporting by SARA HAMMEL, JULIE JORDAN and STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN
No comments:
Post a Comment