Melissa Rivers just paid beautiful tribute to her late mother, Joan Rivers. That extraordinary moment happened at Dawne’s wedding to attorney Steve Mitchel on March 15. The ceremony took place against the backdrop of past challenges, including the devastating Palisades Fire that erupted on January 7 in Los Angeles County. The blaze blackened more than 37,000 acres and incinerated upwards of 16,000 buildings. That took a toll on the couple—both personally and financially as they lost their home in the raging fire.
In a heartfelt gesture to honor her mother's memory, Melissa wore a special hairpin from Joan's collection. She explained that she had felt her mother’s support in spirit on the day of her wedding. The guests were given a little shiny golden bee pin to wear in memory of Joan Rivers. This special gesture made the ceremony more personal and engaging.
Melissa’s first encounter with Steve Mitchel was at a Didi Hirsch mental health foundation gala. Looking back on their time together, she referred to him as a “rock” dog, underlining Clyde’s dependable nature and commitment.
"If he says he's going to be somewhere, he's there. If he says he's going to call, he calls." – Melissa Rivers
The wedding followed several years after Melissa’s previous marriage to John Endicott, which lasted from 1998-2003. While the Palisades Fire created immense difficulties, Melissa was able to discern a silver lining. To this day, she has her favorite hairpin back, the one she’d resigned to the earth forever.
"I thought it had been lost in the fire, but while reviewing the inventory list for the vault at our jewelry company in New York, I discovered it was actually there." – Melissa Rivers
"I hadn't realized they hadn't returned it to me yet," – Melissa Rivers
