Acid-tongued comedienne Joan Rivers has been placed in a medically-induced coma by doctors after suffering a cardiac arrest whilst undergoing surgery on her vocals chords. 

Joan RiversRivers has developed her 'love her or loathe her' persona over a long career in Hollywood

The 81-year old is best known for her work on E! Entertainment's television show 'Fashion Police', where she is part of a celebrity panel including Kelly Osbourne who comment on the world of celebrity fashion. She has caused numerous controversies over the years for her comments, including a remark about singer Adele's weight which she made in 2013 after she won an Oscar for Skyfall. Rivers is an outspoken character who rarely apologises for her potentially offensive jokes, which has led to her being a divisive figure in pop culture.

The winner of Donald Trump's 'Celebrity Apprentice' in 2008, Rivers was also the subject of a 2010 documentary entitled Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work which received high praise from critics and made many view Rivers in a different light. Despite being a scathing comedienne, she has spoken candidly about her struggles with builimia and her self-image, as well as her heartbreak at the suicide of her second husband, Edgar Rosenberg.

Lately she has made the headlines for her controversial remarks about the Isreal-Gaza conflict, coming out as one of the few celebrities who have not given their support to the 'Free Palestine' campaign. She particularly criticised the Western media's coverage of the conflict. Before that, she made headlines for calling Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter North "ugly".

Rivers has been admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, whose spokesman Sid Dinsay released this statement: “Her family wants to thank everybody for their outpouring of love and support. We will provide an update on her condition as it becomes available.” 

It is expected that Rivers will be taken out of the medical coma this weekend so that doctors can assess any damage she has suffered.

More: Is Joan Rivers Right on the Israel-Gaza Conflict?

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