Twitter users were perplexed after Joan Rivers’ tweeted “Merry Christmas!” on Dec. 25, 2016 with a picture of herself standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/LZac3wwd0r
— Joan Rivers (@Joan_Rivers) December 25, 2016
Rivers died in September 2014, but the format of the tweet made it seem like she was very much alive. For awhile on Christmas morning, she was trending again.
While the account has continued to be active since her passing, most tweets start with “From: @MelRivers” or are written in the third person. @MelRivers is the official account of her daughter, Melissa Rivers. About 18 hours earlier, she had tweeted another holiday photo: “From @MelRivers: Happy Hanukkah! Celebrating with my mother in 2013.”
People reacted to the tweet with amazement, confusion and above all humour - something the late comedian would likely have appreciated.
.@Joan_Rivers pic.twitter.com/YLCekpIEQr
— Samantha Vicent (@samanthavicent) December 25, 2016
Pause.
— Thomas Kendziora (@TKendziora37) December 25, 2016
Joan Rivers is Jewish.
And dead. https://t.co/YwOAP8WMen
.@Joan_Rivers pic.twitter.com/zQUbWXSmMr
— Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) December 25, 2016
joan rivers: jewish, dead
— zieglertron (@oomftron) December 25, 2016
jesus: jewish, dead
think about it https://t.co/FN54eZADDJ
Joan Rivers just tweeted from the grave & I can't even get a text back https://t.co/qrh8tqNYKp
— persephone (@agnesriviera) December 25, 2016
It’s not clear who is responsible for the tweet but it is speculated that Melissa might be behind it.