Melissa Rivers and her mom, Joan Rivers, struggled to cope with the loss of Melissa's dad, Edgar Rosenberg. Edgar died by suicide in 1987. Melissa, 56, and her late mother didn't really speak to each other for about a year after Edgar's death, they explained to People in 1993.
In a recent interview with the publication, Melissa opened up about why her dad's death had such a negative impact on her relationship with her mom at first. "Suicide is very complicated for the people who survive it," Melissa told People. "It was very painful. It was very hard."
While it may seem like Melissa and Joan would've leaned on each other for support as they grieved, they instead went their separate ways at first. In 1993, Joan explained to People that Melissa initially blamed her for Edgar's suicide. After about a year of not speaking to each other, they began to work on their relationship — though it took another "major crisis" in order for either of them to take the first step, Melissa explained to the publication.
Melissa eventually reached out to her mom because she was involved in "a full crisis situation where I ended up in an abusive relationship," she explained to People. In spite of their strained relationship at the time, her mom showed up to help her. "It took another major crisis for us to heal from the other crisis," Melissa told the publication.
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Melissa added that fixing their strained relationship "took therapy" and "time." The mother-daughter duo later turned to activism as a way to help them cope with their loss. Melissa continues to try to decrease mental health stigma today. She told People that she is currently the cochair of the Didi Hirsch Health Mental Services and Suicide Prevention.
When speaking about suicide, she is "really honest about it," she explained to the publication.
"Whenever somebody loses someone, whether it be suicide or any other kind of reason, I call my friends, and I go, here's the honest part, it sucks," Melissa told People. "There's nothing good about this right now."
"It's going to suck for a while," she continued. "And you're going to get through it."
In 2014, Melissa lost her mom. She previously spoke to People about the experiences that make her think of her mom.
"I think about her the most when something ridiculous happens," she said in January. "So many of our phone calls began with, 'Ok so, are you ready for this?'"
Even though they initially didn't talk to each other as they navigated the loss of Melissa's dad, Melissa now thinks about her mom whenever she's upset.
"I especially think of her when I'm about to get upset, and have to stop and think, 'What would she do in this particular situation?' And I can hear her voice saying, 'Oh Melissa, please just stop. Get over it!'" Melissa said in January.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
