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

[Lovelydaze]

Annie is supposed to be a ruthless game player..that's what poker is about.
Joan is cool but I can't stand Melissa. She is way too whiny for someone who
is supposed to be over 40.

I am all for defending loved ones but you were made with your own backbone for a reason.....

[stevela07]

I think it's hilarious when Joan Rivers would go after Annie Duke about being "just a poker player". Geeky all throughout their lives, spending their youth in the basement of homes playing poker. All of a sudden they are famous becuz of ESPN and they don't know how to handle it. Now I think Annie is playing well, but I can see what Joan is seeing in Annie Duke.

[professoramy]

She is a cruel, nasty woman whose humor left the building decades ago. When she started just attacking people a la Howard Stern, she lost any credibility she might have had. I remember, many years ago, when she couldn't spew enough anti-Elizabeth Taylor acid. Taylor has more kindness and charity in one little finger than Rivers could summon over her entire lifetime. I suppose her so-called humor would be different if she had ever shown the least amount of humanity and concern for her world. Nothing. I have never heard anyone talk about the good she and her daughter do...only the viciousness. They both deserve to drop into obscurity fast....no redeeming social value at all.

[lmvd3]

So true...every word of it. Thanks, prof.

[JJ30]

I watched when Trump fired Melissa. Melissa was pissed but she hung herself. Brandi and Annie played it smart. I was cracking up and I knew Joan would be pissed. I was a little surprised that she (Joan) actually left the building. She'll be back.

[LEX MOSHER]

There are 2 teams now. Wld not be surpriseed to see Trump bring back Joan and Melissa as 3rd team.

[VOTER]

Hope not.

[meede]

Amazingly Trump hasn't been mediawhoring himself about this but -- There's still time this week. It's only Wednesday

[jmm561]

Trump has been firing the wrong people this season. The project mgr is always the one who is responsible for the loss. Miss Pinup should have been the one gone. Oh well.

[Citizen13]

I love Joan still!

[ZimboChick]

Joan and her spawn r white tra sh...cu r sing and loud. I was glad Donald stopped indulging them

[MizJ]

Joan and Melissa are the epitome of two classless, talentless media hounds. They can dish it out but are unable to take it. This show is just a game, not a life altering experience. If Melissa felt "left out", that is the purpose of the whole premise of The Apprentice.

I have seen Joan shilling her jewelry on QVC and there are times I have wondered if she may have a drinking problem. She is long past being funny and is just plain crude. As for Melissa, without Mom dragging her around in her litter basket, no one would have ever hired her in the first place. These two are so co dependent that you wonder how one could possibly survive without the other. And the plastic surgery they have each succumbed to has gone way over the top. They both look like felines instead of women.

[janie@atthelake]

exactly the way I feel, too.

[OGoodGrief]

Trump was going to fire Brande right up until Melissa opened her big mouth and told him to "Let me finish" when she was going off about Annie and Brande. Trump doesn't like being dismissed, so he dismissed Melissa.

As for Joan, I never liked her very much until this show. Now I love her. She's smart, funny and boy can she ad lib. She has Annie and Brande pegged to a tee, although I think the Hitler comment about Annie was a bit much. Trump is a little transparent in his firings, and personally, I'd wish he'd get rid of Annie. She's a nasty piece of work and I feel sorry for her kids and the guy who is married to her.

Ultimately I hope either Joan or Jesse wins.

[jmm561]

Your right. Melissa did not stop talking when he interrupted her. She should have stopped talking. That may have been the wrong thing she did there. Miss Pinup will probably be decimated by Annie Poker girl next round, for sure.

[ladydragon]

Annie is a professional poker player, it's her job to know how to "read" people and to out-smart them, after all this is a game and they are playing to win money for their charities. I did not appreciate the "Nazi" name calling by Joan, I was actually shocked. Ms Rivers is Jewish, if someone had made that kind of comment to her or that 41 year old brat of hers, Jewish people around the world would shut that show down, Donald Trump would have to answer for that publicly, I resent her calling Annie a Nazi. I hope Annie uses her skills on Joan next, she is a disgrace, insultingly not funny.

[clearlythinking]

These are people who can dish it out but can't take it. They make their career out of being mean and catty but they just can't take not being liked. Melissa Rivers needs to grow up, get a little class, and cut the umbilical cord.

[LEX MOSHER]

Ibid

[lmvd3]

Can Melissa ever do ANYTHING without mom's help??? Melissa is just not made for television--no talent, no humor, no intelligence, no charisma. She just should take daddy's cash and find something that she can do well and quit inflicting pain on audiences who really are not interested in seeing someone's boring daughter on television.

[peachfuzz]

I loved Joanie's POKE-A PLAYAS! tirade.

She's old as dirt and can sell anything.

Been everywhere, still standing and funny as hell.

Go Joanie.