IBNLive | Comedian and entertainer Joan Rivers dies at age 81 IBNLive Reuters: Joan Rivers, the pioneering comedian known for her acerbic wit, classic put-downs and for asking "Can we talk?," died on Thursday at the age of 81 in a New York hospital a week after her heart stopped during an outpatient medical procedure. Joan Rivers, a Comedian for Whom Nothing Was Too Soon or Too Sacred, Dies ... Joan Rivers, a Comic Stiletto Quick to Skewer, Is Dead at 81 Joan Rivers: Making fun of fashion |