The doctor accused of snapping a Joan Rivers "selfie" during the botched throat surgery that led to the comedienne's death last year actually did take photos of his sedated patient, new documents reveal.
Dr. Lawrence Cohen of Yorkville Endoscopy reportedly took photos of Rivers while she was sedated during the procedure, according to the clinic’s records, federal regulatory agency reports, and a medical examiner’s report, which were all made public on Tuesday,
the New York Daily News reported.
Cohen originally refused to submit sworn testimony denying he snapped the photographs during the Aug. 28 outpatient surgery that put Rivers in cardiac arrest and then a coma.
Dr. Gwen Korovin, too, was initially accused of snapping a selfie photo but has vehemently denied
those claims, CNN reported. She, along with Cohen and anesthesiologist Dr. Renuka Bankulla, are all named in a multimillion-dollar negligence lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court by Rivers' daughter Melissa.
The suit suggests that Korovin, a “throat specialist to the stars,” took the photo even though she was not authorized to be in the room.
Rivers died September 4 at Mount Sinai Hospital due to brain damage caused by the loss of oxygen, the medical examiner’s report read, according to the Daily News. She was 81.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen took the photos of a sedated Rivers believing the comedienne would like to see them after and
during her recovery, according to the Daily Mail.
“The conduct is unfortunately outrageous,” Ben Rubinowitz, one of Rivers’ lawyers, told the Daily Mail. “You have a situation where doctors are taking photos of a patient when she needed assistance.”
Bankulla had reportedly noted in medical records that the pictures had been taken.
“Notably, despite Dr. Bankulla’s clear statement in the medical records that Dr. Cohen took a photograph of Joan Rivers while she was unconscious during the procedure, Dr. Cohen’s unverified response . . . denies this fact,” the court paperwork read, according to the Daily News.
Clinic director Daniel Adler also acknowledged to Rivers’ lawyers that several staff members said they saw Cohen take photos of the patient.
The attorneys are now requesting that the judge have clinic staffers provide sworn answers to their questions, though the defense team is dissenting.
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