Joan Rivers’ cause of death confirmed

The 81-year-old Fashion Police presenter died as a result of complication during surgery that caused her brain to be starved of oxygen.

In an official statement, Julie Bolcer of the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said: ‘OCME [Office of Chief Medical Examiner] has completed its investigation. The cause of Ms Rivers’ death is anoxic encephalopathy [brain damage due to lack of oxygen] due to hypoxic arrest during laryngoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with Propofol sedation for evaluation of voice changes and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Adding: ‘The manner of death is therapeutic complication. The classification of a death as a therapeutic complication means that the death resulted from a predictable complication of medical therapy.’

Joan & daughter Melissa

Rivers is also survived by a grandson, Edgar Cooper Endicott – known by his middle name.