For a woman like Joan Rivers, excess and extravagance were the only answer — and adoration was the key. In that case there’s no doubt the star would have approved of her funeral on Sunday morning (September 7) in New York City, filled with a litany of flowers, pomp, circumstance, and celebrity friends to honor the iconic comedian after her death last week at 81.
Rivers had famously stated during her life — via her 2012 book I Hate Everyone . . . Starting with Me — exactly what she wanted her funeral to be like, and though it wasn’t word-for-word, she would’ve been delighted by the elaborate ceremony today.
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Plenty of Hollywood stars came to pay their respects — including Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Kors, Kelly Osbourne, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Kathy Griffin, Howard Stern, Giuliana Rancic, and more.
Related: 9 Joan Rivers Clips That Prove She Was Everything
In fact hundreds of people gathered at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan on Sunday to pay their respects to the late icon. Naturally, many were dressed to the nines, as would befit a respectful homage to the “Fashion Police” star.
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According to The New York Times, the synagogue was peppered with white gardenias at the front while an organist played. Other musical accompaniments included the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus who were on hand to perform their renditions of “What a Wonderful World,” “There Is Nothing Like a Dame,” and “Big Spender.”
Rivers’ friend and NYC gossip columnist Cindy Adams indicated in her Saturday farewell to the star that Broadway star Audra McDonald and Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, were set to perform.
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Rivers’ final send-off was just as crowded outside the church as it was inside, with hundreds of fans lining Fifth Avenue dressed in their best to pay their respects.
No doubt if Rivers were still with us, she’d urge us to hurry up and get back to laughing already — particularly at her expense.
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