Joan Rivers remains in critical condition after cardiac arrest

NEW YORK -- Comedian Joan Rivers remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition Friday after going into cardiac arrest during a medical procedure at a doctor's office on the Upper East Side Thursday morning.

It is not clear what her prospects of recovery are because it is not known how long her body was deprived of oxygen. According to a family statement, Rivers is resting comfortably.

She most recently performed on Wednesday night in Manhattan, even joking about her mortality during the show.

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A few hours later, Rivers was undergoing what is described as routine outpatient procedure on her throat when she suddenly stopped breathing. She became unresponsive, went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital.

The pioneering female comic maintains a jam-packed schedule on TV and stage, and there has been tremendous outpouring of support from around the entertainment world.

Daughter Melissa Rivers rushed from Los Angeles to be by her mother's side. She released a statement saying, "I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for my mother. She is resting comfortably and is with our family. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers."

The New York City Fire Department transported Rivers to Mt. Sinai Hospital after receiving a call that she was in cardiac arrest at Yorkville Endoscopy, a source said. According to TMZ, the 81-year-old comedian was undergoing throat surgery at the time.

A statement from Mount Sinai confirmed that the comedian was at the hospital.

"This morning, Joan Rivers was taken to The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she is being attended to. 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," said Sid Dinsay, hospital spokesman.

In addition to the E! TV show, Rivers continues to do stand-up comedy. According to Ticketmaster, she had seven shows planned across the U.S. for November.

Rivers was scheduled to appear at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, N.J., at 8 p.m. on Friday but that performance has been postponed.

The entertainer has logged a half-century in show business and gave rise to red carpet commentary - and the snarky criticism that often accompanies it. Her signature red carpet query: "Who are you wearing?"

She was to perform a show Friday at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, but that show was postponed because of her hospitalization.

Rivers spoke at an employee event at Time Inc. in New York on Wednesday night and appeared healthy, practically jogging when she walked in to take her seat, said Shira Blum, an online project manager.

"She seemed totally healthy," Blum said. "She was very energetic, hilarious, funny. And it was such a shock, a surprise to hear the news this morning."

Rivers took questions and said she wakes up every morning and "is thankful that everything works," Blum said.

An early and outspoken proponent of cosmetic surgery, Rivers' drastically altered her appearance over the years - and found plenty of material for jokes. ("I've had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware.")

The host of "Fashion Police" on E!, Rivers also presides over an online talk show, "In Bed With Joan" and co-stars with her daughter, Melissa, on the WEtv reality show, "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?"

Her latest book, "Diary of a Mad Diva," was released this summer.

In 2009, Rivers emerged as the winner of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice." A documentary, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," premiered in theaters in 2010.

A native of New York, Rivers originally entered show business with the dream of a theatrical career, but comedy became a way to pay the bills while she auditioned for acting roles.

"Somebody said, 'You can make six dollars standing up in a club,'" she told The Associated Press in 2013, "and I said, 'Here I go!' It was better than typing all day."

After proving herself in comedy clubs as a rarity - a woman comedian - Rivers was a smash on her first booking on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1965. "God, you're funny," Carson told her.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.