Iconic comedienne and actress Joan Rivers "passed away peacefully at 1:17 p.m." on Thursday afternoon, her daughter, Melissa, announced through Katz Public Relations.
Rivers had been hospitalized since going into cardiac arrest on the evening of Aug. 28 following a minor surgery at a New York clinic.
The 81-year-old Rivers was undergoing a throat procedure at Yorkville Endoscopy in Manhattan when the medical emergency occurred. E! News reported that Rivers was having her vocal cords examined, and WABC noted that the clinic specialises in digestive issues.
Rivers was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital at 9:39 a.m. and was "unconscious and unresponsive," law enforcement officials told FOX411. She was placed in a medically-induced coma, and moved in and out of intensive care this week.
The New York Daily News reported that Rivers was dependent on machines, and Melissa decided Thursday to remove her mother from life support. She said in a statement that her mother was "surrounded by family and close friends" when she passed, and was grateful for the support from her mother's fans across the world.
"[My son] Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world," she wrote. "They have been heard and appreciated.
"My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon."
Rivers rose to prominence in the mid-1960s when she appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." She went on to host "The Late Show," "The Joan Rivers Show" – which garnered Rivers an Emmy Award – and most recently, the popular E! programs "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best" and "Fashion Police."
The comedian also wrote 12 best-selling books, was a prolific comedy writer, and had a top-selling QVC jewelry line – the Joan Rivers Classics Collection.
She is survived by her daughter, Melissa, and grandson, Cooper.
