Joan Rivers Goes Mama Bear Defending Melissa

NEW YORK — Think twice before crossing Melissa Rivers _ her mother might just step in and chew you out.

Joan Rivers unleashed an earful of insults after Donald Trump fired her daughter on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

Rivers' targets: poker champ Annie Duke and Playboy pinup Brande (BRAND-ee) Roderick.

Melissa Rivers, who appeared with her mom on the NBC show, claimed the two formed an alliance against her. She called them "pit vipers."

Joan Rivers launched into mama-bear mode, calling Roderick a "stupid blonde" and Duke a "white trash" poker player. She called the duo "a Nazi and a follower."

NBC representative Amanda Ruisi didn't immediately return phone and e-mail messages seeking comment. Donald Trump could not immediately be reached.

Comments

[vacagrl]

Making alliances is the name of the game on The Apprentice. As for the other girls being "white trash", Joan Rivers and Melissa both showed themselves as "white trash" and classless with their baby tantrums.

[Ascoli]

Joan....yo­u're dealing with 'the donald'
He's dog eat dog and ......love­s publicity.
He's getting it from Joan and Melissa.

[GarysDiscardedCaps]

Melissa has as much talent as Paris Hilton.

Poor Melissa, everyone picking on her. I don't get it. ; )

[noelalumit]

A good mother would have taught her daughter to stand up for herself, something Melissa has always had trouble doing.

[Diana]

Trump fired Melissa for being 'uppity.' Notice that the last time she talked, he interrupted her and she told him to 'hold on.'

This bit of sacrilege elicited shocked looks from Kramer and others, and the next thing you know, Trump changes the script and fires Melissa.

Imagine, telling a revered businessman to 'hold on.' What insolence! What hubris! How dare she!

[SouthpawSass]

My grandmother had a saying, "She thinks all her geese are swan."

[malibumadman]

Poor Joan, she had her chin replaced with a chimpanzee's.

[artgal]

Why does everyone make so much fun of Joan Rivers and Melissa? Do you make fun of Kat Hudson or Angelina Jolie or so many others because their parents got them into the business? Joan Rivers bounced back from the devastation of a husband who committed suicide, she has a successful jewelry business, she writes books, and she has worked stand up for many years all with a face less than beautiful to get by on. At least she speaks her mind and isnt a phony.

[SouthpawSass]

I agree in that Joan Rivers is good at marketing her merchandise and is extremely talented in making people laugh. I know, I have one of her albums.

However, her daughter Melissa, unlike the daughters you mentioned, has no talent and is well known not for any accomplishment she herself is responsible for, but for her mother's.

Yeah, Joan is a little phoney - she's got the stock in plastics to show for it.

[Ohsherri]

Joan was the best thing on that d0mb show.
And Mellisa worked harder than the rest of those b/m-bos on her team.

Just out of the blue....Tr­ump canned her...and Cramer "suddenly" went along with it.
(after they passed each other a l0ve letter)
I can't believe I watched it up til now!

[LLisaLL]

The Donald should have fired Brande. It would have been much more interesting to watch Melissa and Annie try to work together, especially when Annie doesn't have a target to set up for a fall. I wonder if she could hold her own with someone who can play on equal footing. She couldn't see her own shortcomings this week when she took it all on and didn't come through with the goods.

[coles1116]

He totally should of fired Brandee!! Joan is the reason I tune in every week...her one liners are classic!

[jaggok]

When Joan is done with this life, Melissa will be a nothing. Without her mother she couldn't even get a job walking the streets.

[Agentlady007]

No true, Melissa will dye her hair blonde and make her mother proud to be her daughter.

[Agentlady007]

Not true. Joan will never give into being "done". She's too smart.

[Novelene]

Kudos to Joan who was absolutely spot-on in her remarks against Mellisa's two team mates. I was thrilled to hear her eloquently voice what was so obvious from what was shown of ''those two.'' What is so shocking is that Donald Trump cannot see the situation that had developed at Athena. Does he not watch his own show? Or is he playing for ratings allowing Annie's underhandedness?

[mlaiuppa]

Ratings, duh.

[CammyV]

Mother and daughter showed a lot of class. All low.

[TRYKER]

It appeared that Melissa's over-reaction was her "audition" for some dramatic role she is hoping for somewhere -- because it was so over the top and out of place.
She had to have been ready in her mind to be fired when she watched the whole manipulation unfold...s­he had time to resolve to remain calm -- and then lost it when she was fired. It didn't make sense, so it wasn't true.
Melissa is a fairly strong and adept girl, but this mommy's girl act at 41 should embarrass her...it does me.
I'm sure Joan is contracted to the end, so she'll be back, and will hopefully apologize for being a name calling mean girl. I'd say this was just for effect, to tease us to come back and watch the fight. Joan vs Annie. Ho hum, what else is new in TVland?
To Melissa, why not take all your strengths and package them together and start your own company? Channel that stamina into production of something useful and needed. You'd probably surprise yourself if you stood on your own two feet, you can do a lot.
Mother and daughters shouldn't have to work together..­.it's too much.
Jesse won this whole she-bang the first night...wh­at a guy, its great to get to meet him.
Though I've not seen all the shows, does Donald Trump act like a changed man himself? He is kinder and more loving and less me me me -- from what I've seen.

[citizensrus]

Joan is who she is..she can still make me laugh.

[VOTER]

Things have changed.
Now we are laughing at her and not with her.

[Glenn Manning]

True!