There ll be time to really cry later : Melissa Rivers opens up about traumatic Palisades fire and three treasured items she lost

Get the Full StoryWildfires are devastating large parts of Southern California, and TV host, Melissa Rivers was one of those who lost her home in the Palisades fires in the past week. In an Instagram post on Jan. 8, Rivers updated her followers and wrote that while she and her family were able to safely evacuate, she was heartbroken that her home had been destroyed. She also expressed deep gratitude to the first responders and firefighters who are relentlessly working hard and risking their lives amid the catastrophe. In 2021, Rivers spent 7.7 million on her two-story Pacific Palisades home, which included five bedrooms and more than 4,800 square feet of living space. She opened up about the tragic event to People and shared that she hasn t had time to process everything and is still in shock over the traumatic event. Despite the heartbreak she is feeling, she says she s only had two little cries over losing her home. Right now, she is focused on moving forward adding, There ll be time to really cry later. Rivers was at home when her son Cooper and her assistant alerted her about the fires. She contacted her fianc Steve Mitchell and told him about the situation. Together, they started grabbing what they could before evacuating. They left the home with their pets and just three tote bags. Melissa Rivers lost some items with sentimental value Melissa Rivers, whose home was destroyed by the fires, says she grabbed the necessities and my mom's Emmy, a photo of my dad and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son I went for a drawing of my mother's rather than a photo, because I know I can find the photos. pic.twitter.com YyIBXzbRYb Kaitlan Collins kaitlancollins January 9, 2025 Rivers understands the resilience it takes to overcome adversities, sharing with the outlet that she experienced a similar sense of devastation when her parents passed away. I m one of those people who has twice gone through the experience of going to bed one way and then you wake up with your life upside down. First with my father, and then when I lost my mom. Rivers was in college when her father, producer Edgar Rosenberg, died by suicide in 1987. His death was a profound loss, leaving her with anger and resentment, but over time, she has found a way to release those negative emotions. She also lost her mother, comedian Joan Rivers, unexpectedly in 2014 due to tragically preventable complications from a routine throat procedure. Shortly after evacuating, Rivers talked to CNN, sharing that she grabbed birth certificates and important documents, medication, a photo of her father, a drawing of her son made by her mom, her mother s Emmy award, and food for her pets. It s amazing what you grab, it s amazing what you take, she says, adding that she left items that could be replaced. However, she wasn t able to take three pieces of clothing that had sentimental value her mother s favorite sweater, and her mother s and father s bathrobes. I lost the only three things of theirs that I kept in my house because they reminded me so much of them, Rivers said. Now, Rivers is staying with a friend and is focused on rebuilding her life. She draws strength from the motto by Winston Churchill that her parents lived by and passed on to her: If you re going through hell, keep going. Right now, she s just grateful to have a dark sense of humor, which she says is helping her move forward.

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