Melissa Rivers Saves Joan Rivers' Emmy And These 2 Things Before Devastating Palisades Fire Claims Home
Melissa Rivers shared her emotional experience of saving her late mother Joan Rivers' Emmy Award before her home was destroyed in the Palisades fire.
"To be 100 percent honest, I grabbed my mom's Emmy, a photo of my dad, and a drawing that my mother had done of me and my son," Melissa revealed during a CNN interview on Wednesday, January 8.
Read more: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Offer Refuge to Friends Escaping Devastating California Wildfires
Joan Rivers, who died in 2014 at the age of 81, earned the prestigious Daytime Emmy Award in 1990 for her talk show, The Joan Rivers Show.
Reflecting on her choices during the evacuation, Melissa, 56, explained, "It's amazing what you grab. It's amazing what you take. I went for a drawing of my mother's rather than a photo because I know I can find the photos. [The drawing] I can't replace."
In addition to sentimental items, Melissa mentioned gathering essential documents, clothing, and food for her pets, saying she ran through a "mental checklist" of irreplaceable and necessary belongings. "It started to hit me that we literally have what's on our back," she added, visibly emotional.
Melissa also emphasized the importance of being prepared during emergencies, urging others to ensure they have their critical documents ready. "My heart is so broken, not just for myself, but for everybody going through this," she said. "It's a town, and it's wiped off the map."
Earlier in the day, Melissa took to Instagram to confirm that her home was lost in the fire.
"My family and I have safely evacuated, and we are deeply grateful to be unharmed," she wrote. "I want to express my profound gratitude to the courageous firefighters and first responders who are tirelessly risking their lives to protect our communities and save lives."
Melissa's Mediterranean-style villa in Santa Monica, a 7,048-square-foot home purchased in 2018, was among the many properties destroyed. She joins other celebrities, including Eugene Levy, Anna Faris, and Paris Hilton, who have lost their homes to the devastating Los Angeles fires.
Some celebrities, like Tom Hanks and Ben Affleck, were fortunate as their homes were spared despite being in evacuation zones.
