Joan Rivers Would Be Sad No One Lives in Her Old N.Y.C. Apartment, Says Daughter Melissa (Exclusive)

Melissa Rivers talks about how she thinks her mother Joan Rivers would react if her iconic New York apartment remained unoccupied for so long.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Melissa, 55, says she thinks her comedian mother, who died at age 81 in 2014, would be sad that no one lives in her former home.

“That apartment was so special and filled with so much warmth, laughter and happiness that it [would] make her really sad. I think she would be,” says Melissa.

Producer and TV personality, who now leads Melissa Rivers group text podcast, where she chats with celebrity guests about entertainment, current events and more, she also notes that “Mom’s best friend” still lives across the street.

Melissa said the woman had only seen the house lights on “about a dozen times” since Joan’s death.

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Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers. Noam Galai/WireImage Joan Rivers’ $34.5 million New York penthouse has been taken off the market after nearly 3 years

Located just steps from Fifth Avenue, Joan’s former home offers views of Central Park and the surrounding skyline. The space is designed in a neo-French classical style and offers four bedrooms, five bathrooms, two terraces, five wood-burning fireplaces and a ballroom.

The estate served as the late comedian’s home for 28 years before her death and, according to property records, sold in 2015 for $24 million, before later being put back on the market in 2021 for $38 million. The home then received a price reduction and was relisted for $34.5 million in June 2023.

Earlier this month, the apartment was officially taken off the market after years of trying to find a buyer.

Listing agents Dolly Lenz and Jennifer Lenz of Dolly Lenz Real Estate previously confirmed to PEOPLE that while the property has been taken off the market, it can still be purchased by a serious buyer.

Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers. D Dipasupil/FilmMagic Melissa Rivers Says Her Mom Joan Rivers Would Hate Cancellation Culture: ‘She’d Get Over It’ (Exclusive)

When asked if she’s interested in buying a home for herself, Melissa candidly tells PEOPLE that she doesn’t see herself living there in the future.

“Everyone keeps asking me, am I going to buy it back? I wonder, why should I?” she explains. “It will never be the same place it was.”

Although Joan loved the home very much, she also admitted that she believed it was haunted.

During the episode Ghost stories of celebrities In 2009, she revealed that she had brought in a voodoo priestess to help her deal with the ghost in the house after previously saying she did not believe in paranormal activity. She said a ghost named Mrs Spencer, who was a former resident and the late niece of financier JP Morgan, was haunting the new residents.

She also noted that neighbors told her they had witnessed apparitions in the ballroom and grand staircase. On the show, Joan said she found an old portrait of Mrs. Spencer and hung it in the lobby, which finally ended the haunting.

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