Melissa Rivers has been making the publicity rounds this week, promoting her new book, "The Book of Joan," and in an interview with the "Today" show's Hoda Kotb at the 92nd Street Y in New York, Rivers spoke about Kathy Griffin's departure from "Fashion Police."
"My biggest complaint was the feeling that she kind of shit all over my mother's legacy in her statement on leaving," Rivers said. "And I know that that was not an intentional reading of it, but that's how I felt ...That was my takeaway, by [her] calling the comedy and the style of it old-fashioned. It's like, I understand what you're doing, you're trying to save yourself, but don't crap all over my mother to do it."
Griffin had joined the show after Joan Rivers died, but left in March after just seven episodes. At the time, she tweeted, "I have discovered my style does not fit with the creative direction of the show and now it’s time to move on." Rivers serves as one of the show's executive producers.
The comedian's exit followed that of Kelly Osbourne, who left "Fashion Police" after co-host Giuliana Rancic was slammed for her offensive comments about Zendaya's dreadlocks during an Oscars-related telecast.
During her interview with Kotb, Rivers said she took Griffin's comments very personally. "But as a professional, that was her choice, that's what she did. No harm, no foul, moving on." When asked about what Rancic said in regards to Zendaya's hair, Rivers responded, "If something like that had happened and my mother had been alive, her reaction immediately would have been, 'Oh, please, all this over a wig?' Literally, it was a wig! Let's just all relax."
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