Joan Rivers Probably Won’t Apologize To Cleveland Kidnapping Victims
Joan Rivers may have offended Ariel Castro’s kidnapping victims with her recent joke, but the comedienne doesn’t plan to apologize for the quip anytime soon.
The Fashion Police co-host caused a stir yet again when she decided to joke about Cleveland kidnapping victims Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. Even those who enjoy Rivers unique brand of comedy were more than a little shocked by her decision to make fun of such a serious situation.
During her appearance on Today, Joan Rivers commented that Berry and DeJesus “had more space” in Castro’s basement than she did living with her daughter. Rivers followed up that remark with even more jokes during a chat with the folks at TMZ.
“They got to live rent free for more than a decade… One of them has a book deal. Neither are in a psych ward. They’re okay. I bet you within three years one of them will be on ‘Dancing with the Stars,'” Joan Rivers told the website.
Not surprisingly, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were deeply offended by Joan’s remarks. The Huffington Post reports that their lawyers are demanding an apology from Rivers for the jokes.
“We understand that Ms. Rivers is a comedienne; however, the idea that a celebrity would say something this hurtful, on national television, no less, is beyond shocking and disappointing,” the lawyers said in a joint statement.
They added, “Our clients are strong, private women who have endured unwanted and often painful media attention for quite some time. They now have to endure this, which is a new low, and we believe a sincere apology is warranted.”
However, it seems Rivers doesn’t have any plans to apologize to Ariel Castro’s victims anytime soon. In a telephone interview with The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Joan didn’t back down from the controversial remarks.
“I’m a comedienne. I know what those girls went through. It was a little, stupid joke. There is nothing to apologize for. I made a joke. That’s what I do. Calm down. Calm f***ing down. I’m a comedienne. They’re free, so let’s move on,” she explained.
However, people clearly aren’t ready to calm down. Twitter reactions to the joke were very extreme, indicating that Rivers may have taken things a little too far this time around.
“Hasn’t Joan Rivers been a walking case of petrified second-hand embarrassment for years, anyway? I’m shocked people don’t spray graffiti on it,” one person tweeted.
Do you think Joan Rivers should apologize for the joke she made about the Cleveland kidnapping victims?
[Image via The Huffington Post]
