‘You are not the one to interview a person who does humor!’ Joan Rivers said before storming out of the interview.
The comedian, who appeared on CNN to promote her new book “Diary of a Mad Diva,” walked off the set in the middle of the interview after objecting to anchor Fredricka Whitfield’s “negative” line of questioning.
The interview, which was taped earlier this week and aired Saturday, started out congenially, with Whitfield talking about Rivers’ multi-hyphenate career as an author, comic and host of E!’s “Fashion Police.”
When the anchor described the fashion critiques as “very mean in some ways,” the 81-year-old cut her off.
“It’s not mean, it’s not mean, it’s not mean,” she said. “I tell the truth.”
“I’m sure I say the same things that all your viewers say to their friends sitting next to them on the couch,” Rivers added. “We’re one of the few shows that says ‘that’s an ugly dress.’ … These ladies make $28 million a picture. You really think that Nicki Minaj cares I didn’t like her dress?”
Joan Rivers tells CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield to ‘shut up’ during the interview.
The octogenarian added that when she makes scathing comments about celebs’ outfits, it wasn’t meant to be personal: “It’s not about them, it’s the clothing.”
Whitfield then asked Rivers about her take-no-prisoners style of humor and wanted to know if Rivers ever worried about offending people.
“Life is very tough,” she responded. “If you can make a joke to make something easier and funny, do it.”
The news anchor then continued to press Rivers on her “shock value,” citing the cover of her new book, in which she wears a fur coat, which Whitfield said could draw the ire of animal rights activists. And that’s when Rivers lost her temper.
“This whole interview is becoming a defensive interview,” she said. “Are you wearing leather shoes?” When Whitfield said yes, Rivers told her, “then shut up.”
Joan Rivers visited a Barnes & Noble in New York City to promote her latest book, ‘Diary of a Mad Diva’ on Monday.
Whitfield pointed out that she could wear leather shoes because she wasn’t an animal rights activist, unlike the comedian.
“I don’t want to hear this nonsense,” Rivers fired back. “Come to me with a paper belt, and I’ll talk to you.”
Whitfield then tried to continue the same line of questioning, and that’s when Rivers announced, “I’m going.”
“All you’ve done is negative,” she said. “I’ve made people laugh for 50 years, I am put on Earth to make people laugh. My book is funny. I wear fur that was killed 15 years ago, I work for animal rights.”
“Stop it with ‘you do this and you’re mean’!” Rivers added, nearly shouting. “You are not the one to interview a person who does humor! Sorry!”
She then stormed out of the interview as Whitfield said, “Are we serious?”
After airing the segment, the anchor noted that she thought that Rivers’ exit was a joke, until she didn’t return to the interview.
Her mid-interview walkout comes on the heels of her recent controversial comments about the First Couple, in which she said that President Obama is gay and that his wife Michelle is a “tranny.”
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