Comedian Joan Rivers is "resting comfortably" in a New York hospital after suffering surgery complications during a procedure at a medical clinic.
Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, issued a statement Thursday night after arriving from L.A., asking fans to "keep her in your thoughts and prayers."
Joan Rivers Update From Melissa Rivers
"I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for my mother. She is resting comfortably and is with our family," Melissa said.
A law enforcement official told CNN that Rivers stopped breathing during throat surgery. Rivers, 81, was taken by ambulance in critical condition.
She was later upgraded to stable condition at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, a mile away from the clinic where she was having the minor operation.
"This morning, Joan Rivers was taken to the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she is being attended to," hospital spokesman Sid Dinsay said.
"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."
Michael Lucas, who was in the audience for Rivers' show at New York's Beechman Theater one night earlier, recalled that she joked about her own death:
"She said, 'You know I'm 81 years old, and I could drop dead at any moment and you would be so lucky because you will have a story to tell your friends for the rest of your life.'"
"Then she mimicked people talking about what it was like to see her drop dead on stage," the fan said, adding that Joan appeared to be in vintage Joan form.
"There was no sign (Wednesday) night that she was declining. Her show was over an hour long and she never stumbled or even paused to catch her breath."
Rivers has been open about health issues, including osteoporosis after a 2002 fall left her with broken bones, and admitted not being as healthy as she could be.
Here's wishing her a speedy, full recovery.
This is a selfie the Internet could have done without. Ray J snapped it of himself and Joan Rivers in bed.
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