Melissa Rivers talked about her late mother, comedian Joan Rivers, publicly for the first time in a touching speech at The Hollywood Reporter's 2014 Women In Entertainment breakfast in Los Angeles, Calif.
With many of Hollywood's most prominent women in the audience, including Shonda Rhimes and Angelina Jolie, Melissa opened up about her mother in an emotional yet funny tribute on Wednesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Melissa, who donned a pink dress for the Audi-sponsored event, talked about the late "Fashion Police" host's fearlessness, her strength and ability to tell it like it is.
"I want to thank everyone for inviting me here this morning, and before we start, I'd like to point out that it is definitely a little intimidating to be in a room with the most beautiful, successful women in Hollywood," the "Fashion Police" producer began.
"But Angelina, I just want you to know I'm really very normal and accessible," she joked. She went on to confess that the "last three months and six days…have been different to say the least."
Just like her late mom, Melissa didn't fail to include a few jokes in the emotional tribute, including one where she claimed her mother taught her "shallowness" is next to "godliness." She also added that Joan taught her many things, including the ability to make fun of herself.
"My mother was fearless. And I don’t mean she didn't have any fears, I mean that even though she was only 5'2, she stood tall and walked through it. And that's what made her such a brilliant performer," she said of Joan, who passed away at the age of 81 due to complications from surgery.
"She was willing to say what others were thinking and too frightened to admit. She made fun of herself first and foremost which gave her the right to joke about others. She never apologized for a joke, and no topic was taboo and she was fine with that," Melissa continued.
"Truth be told, my mother never thought of herself as a woman working in a man's world. She thought of herself as a comic that had to be funnier than anyone else…she just wanted to do her job and that was to make people laugh."
Joan's only daughter, who is mom to 14-year-old son Cooper, added that there has been many tributes paid to her mother since her death, including ones where she has bee labelled "everything from a legend, to a trailblazer, to a bitch."
However, according to Melissa, "the bottom line is, she was really just my mother."
Melissa finished off the speech by saying how happy how mother would have been to be present at the event, though she would have sneaked off with a croissant and utensil or two.
"If my mother were here this morning, she'd not only be grateful and proud, she would be beyond herself. She would be sitting at the table beaming, while very discreetly shoving croissants and silverware into her purse. On behalf of my mother -- thank you so, so much. It's an honor," she concluded.
Comedian Sarah Silverman also had a few things to say about Joan before she introduced a tribute video dedicated to the late star, Us Weekly reported.
"Joan Rivers was not done. At 81 she lived a life that could jam pack ten lifetimes, but she wasn't done, she left us unfinished. She was as funny last August as ever," said Silverman.
"In fact, she was doing her best work. She once said she didn't feel she found her comedic voice until she was seventy. I love that. For true blue stand-up comics like Joan Rivers, there is no end game, it's a process, it's a lifestyle. The only thing that was going to stop Joan from being a comedian was death, so, touche death. And f--k you very much."