Melissa Rivers Saved Mom Joan’s Mementos as California Home Burned

Melissa Rivers has revealed that she saved her mom Joan Rivers’ mementos from her burning home, describing the loss of her home as “the end of everything that belonged to my family and the history of it.”

“In my personal situation that’s it. That is the end of everything that belonged to my family and the history of it. So to be 100 percent honest, I grabbed my mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad, and a drawing that my mother had done of my son and I,” she said on CNN.

She added, “It’s amazing what you grab. It’s amazing what you take.” Rivers made the comments on CNN, speaking with anchor Kaitlan Collins.

Joan Rivers died in 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The famed comedienne was 81 years old when she passed away.

Melissa Rivers Says Her Family Was Organized Because She’s Lived in Los Angeles All of Her Life

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Rivers revealed that living in Los Angeles for her entire life at least left her family prepared.

“Between the earthquakes and the fires and growing up in Los Angeles, I kind of have a mental checklist,” she told Collins. “I made sure we got passports, birth certificates, medication, clothing. You know, I just was out shopping for clothes. It started to hit me; we literally have what’s on our backs. I grabbed dog food, cat food.”

Rivers noted that “the most important thing is have your papers, have your ID, have your passport, have that in one place ready to go. Thank goodness we are organized like that and have extra pet food. It’s amazing what you grab. It’s amazing what you take.”

Melissa Rivers Described Her Heart As Broken

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Rivers revealed to Collins that she had to make tough choices as the home burned to the ground. One choice she decided to make was to grab a drawing her mother had made and leave some of the photos behind because she was not able to take everything.

“I went for a drawing of my mother’s rather than a photo because I know I can find the photos. I can’t replace” the painting, according to Rivers. “My heart is so broken, not just for myself.”

She mentioned the entire neighborhood, as well as a cafe by name, indicating that it was all destroyed and that a community was lost.

“It’s a town, and it’s wiped off the map,” she told Collins.