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How Melissa Rivers' Fiancé Steve Mitchel Changed Her Mind About Marriage

Shortly after announcing her engagement, Melissa Rivers spoke exclusively to E! News about how fiancé Steve Mitchel made her want to tie the knot again and gave a close-up of her ring.

By Elyse Dupre Nov 22, 2023 1:00 PMTags
Watch: Melissa Rivers On Her Engagement To Steve Mitchel

There's that saying, "When you know, you know." And Melissa Rivers knows she wants to marry fiancé Steve Mitchel.

Although, she didn't see herself walking down the aisle again after her 2003 divorce. So how did Steve change her mind? 

"Because he made me laugh. It wasn't scary to him at all," Melissa told E! News' Justin Sylvester. "And what we always say is he grounds me, and I make him fun. He's like, 'I've never been more popular. Like, everyone wants to go out and do stuff.' I'm like, 'Yeah, 'cause I'm fun.'" (For more from Melissa's interview, tune in to E! News Nov. 22 at 11 p.m.)

And she thinks her mom Joan Rivers—who died in 2014—would approve. 

"I'm not sure if she sent me to him because he doesn't have a plane," the Fashion Police alum—who, like her mother, hosted the E! series—teased, "but I know she would really like him. As I've said, she would love the ring and like him too."

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2023 Celebrity Engagements

After all, the ring is custom by Peter McNeal of McNeal & Grunberg. But it wasn't just knowing Joan would say yes to the sparkler that made the proposal so perfect.

Before Steve popped the question, he got the blessing from Melissa's 22-year-old son Cooper Endicott.

"Cooper means the world to me and has always been the most important man in my life," Melissa previously told E! News. "So, it was really special that Steve called him to get permission. Apparently, Steve was more nervous asking Cooper than he was asking me. Steve and Cooper get along so well, and I'm grateful that Cooper said yes, and I now have TWO wonderful men in my life. But Steve isn't delusional—he knows he will always be 1B." 

Courtesy of Melissa Rivers

With so much love in her life, Melissa is hoping to send it on to other families this Thanksgiving. Joined by more stars and about 200 volunteers, she will work with Project Angel Food in Los Angeles to prepare and deliver 2,000 traditional turkey dinners to critically ill clients on Nov. 23. 

"It really is part of what our family does on Thanksgiving back," she previously told the nonprofit. "It's our tradition." 

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