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Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (born January 20, 1968), known professionally as Melissa Rivers, is an American television host and actress. She is the only child of comedian Joan Rivers and producer Edgar Rosenberg.
Rivers attended the University of Pennsylvania, where in 1989 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history. During her second year of college, her father Edgar committed suicide. In 1990, she took on her mother's stage surname, after which she became known as Melissa Rivers. "Melisa Rivers takes mother's surname" September 14, 1990, Spokane Chronicle
In the early 1990s, she branched out on the pre-show red carpet, interviewing celebrities on nationally televised awards shows. Rivers, who has hosted various events and served as a producer for the E! Network, has hosted two of the channel's highest-rated specials: Oh Baby! Melissa’s Guide to Pregnancy and Oh Toddler! Surviving the Early Years (aired in January 2002).
With her mother, she hosted fashion on the red carpet interviews for the E! cable network. In 2003, they left the red carpet pre-show on E! to accept a more lucrative deal with the TV Guide Channel valued at between $6 and $8 million. "TV briefs: Rivers duo may leave E! for TV Guide Channel" June 25, 2004, The Seattle Times Also in 2003, she appeared on the ABC Network competitive reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. She has been a regular guest on the webcast show Tom Green's House Tonight.
In 2013, she was a co-creator and co-producer of Joan's YouTube web series In Bed with Joan, a 15- to 30-minute show with a new video uploaded weekly in which Joan interviewed a celebrity about a wide variety of personal topics in Joan's bed, with Melissa conducting interview questions for the last several minutes. Featured videos that have garnered the most views featured comedians Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman, and Margaret Cho, television personalities Kelly Osbourne and RuPaul, as well as YouTubers Jenna Mourey (Jenna "Marbles"), Grace Helbig ("itsgrace") and Justine Ezarik ("iJustine"). Other guests included Russell Peters, Gary Busey, Rob Delaney, Gabriel Iglesias, Carmen Electra, Lance Bass, Howie Mandel, Chris Hardwick, Bill Engvall, Tom Green, Penn Jillette, Aisha Tyler, Anthony Jeselnik, Eric André, Theo Von, Nick Kroll and T.J. Miller.http://www.inbedwithjoan.com In 2013, Melissa and Joan were honored by the Ride of Fame and a double decker tour bus was dedicated to them. Video: Joan and Melissa Rivers Debut Their Glamorous Ride of Fame in NYC. Huffington Post. March 1, 2013.
On August 31, 2015, Fashion Police began featuring Rivers as a co-host.
In 2019, Rivers began hosting the Melissa Rivers’ Group Text podcast with Hurrdat Media Network.
In 2025, Rivers began hosting the "Women Our Age" podcast.
She raised $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, resulting from ABC's 2006 television show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Live. On June 24, 2008, Rivers appeared on the NBC game show Celebrity Family Feud as part of the Rivers Family Team. She and her mother first battled against the Ice-T Family Team, then went on to compete against the Raven-Symoné Family Team. They won $50,000 for their charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind.
She appeared on the NBC reality television program Celebrity Apprentice playing for the Lili Claire Foundation. She was fired in the episode that aired April 26, 2009, after which she stormed out of the boardroom, verbally assaulted teammates Annie Duke and Brande Roderick, yelled at the production crew, and refused the obligatory exit interview. Her mother was also a contestant on that season of The Apprentice, and threatened to quit the show after Melissa's firing, but remained and ultimately won the competition. NBC Celebrity Apprentice 2 Press Release
She raised $22,250 on a special celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, where all the celebrities played to raise money for the research of Alzheimer's disease. Bio at Yahoo News
In January 2015, Rivers filed a malpractice lawsuit against the clinic and doctors who performed surgery on her mother that caused her death.
From 2015 to 2021, Rivers was in a relationship with talent agent Mark Rousso.
In 2022 Rivers met attorney Steve Mitchel at a Didi Hirsch Mental Health and Suicide Prevention event. Rivers served as a Co-Chairman of the organization's board of directors and Mitchel was accompanying a friend. The couple got engaged in October 2023. On March 15, 2025, Rivers and Mitchel married in Jackson Hole.
In January 2025, her home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Career
As an actress, Rivers has had roles in television shows including Beverly Hills 90210, Silk Stalkings and The Comeback. In 1998, she also appeared in the sci-fi/comedy made-for-television movie Men in White and in the 1999 film The Big Tease, a comedy directed by Kevin Allen starring Craig Ferguson. She and her mother, Joan Rivers, portrayed themselves in the 1994 celebrity docudrama Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story.
Philanthropy
In 2003, Rivers appeared in a PETA anti-fur ad campaign, encouraging consumers to "Fake It...for the Animals' Sake."Deborah Shoeneman, " Arnold's High Times...Melissa Rivers' Naked Ambition...Grimm News for Polanski," New York Magazine, 25 August 2003
Personal life
Rivers married horse trainer John Endicott in December 1998, at New York City's Plaza Hotel in a $3 million wedding. "VOWS; Melissa Rivers, John Endicott" December 13, 1998, The New York Times They divorced in 2003. She has one son from that marriage, Edgar Cooper Endicott (b. 2000) who was featured with Rivers and her mother in the reality show "Joan Rivers is a nice person – really" June 24, 2010, Miami Herald She was in a relationship with sports coach Jason Zimmerman from 2008 to 2011.
Filmography
1978 Rabbit Test Little girl Feature film 1991 Beverly Hills, 90210 Mackenzie Episode: "Fame Is Where You Find It" 1993 MTV Spring Break '93 Blind DateArchived at Ghostarchive and the
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Wayback Machine: Host with Jon Stewart 1994 Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story Herself Television film 1998 Tracey Takes On... Herself Episode: "Hollywood" Men in White Female Reporter #1 Television film 1999 Silk Stalkings Tegan Cook Episode: "A Clockwork Florida Orange" The Big Tease Dianne Abbott Television film 2000 Best Actress Herself Television film 2001 Just Shoot Me! Herself Episode: "Sugar Momma" 2004 Out for Blood Talk Show Host Direct-to-video Dave the Barbarian Princess Irmaplotz (voice) Recurring role; 3 episodes 2003–2017 Fashion Police Herself Executive producer; 112 episodes
Host; 31 episodes2005 The L Word Herself Cameo Appearance; 1 episode "Lagrimos de Oro" I Love the '80s 3-D Herself Episode: "1989" 2007–2008 Jury Duty Herself Guest star; 5 episodes 2009 The Bold and the Beautiful Herself Guest star; 4 episodes 2009–2015 The Apprentice Herself Host; 12 episodes 2010 Cubed Human Resource Rep Guest star 2011–2013 Herself Co-executive producer; 26 episodes
Main cast; 34 episodes2013–2014 In Bed with Joan Herself Executive producer; 71 episodes
Guest star; 4 episodes2015 Joy Joan Rivers Feature film 2010–2017 Fashion Police Herself Executive producer; 112 episodes
Host; 31 episodes2016–2023 Hell's Kitchen Herself Chef's table guest diner for the blue team in Season 16
Guest diner in Season 22
Books
Honors
External links
Categories: Official Website, 1968 Births, Living People, Actresses From Manhattan, American Female Equestrians, American People Of German-jewish Descent, American People Of Russian-jewish Descent, American Television Hosts, American Businesswomen, Businesspeople From Los Angeles, Businesspeople From New York City, Jewish American Actresses, Jews From California, Joan Rivers, Participants In American Reality Television Series, People From Los Angeles County, California, People From The Upper East Side, Television Producers From New York City, University Of Pennsylvania Alumni, Television Producers From California, Philanthropists From New York, American Women Television Producers, American Women Television Hosts
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