EXCLUSIVE: How Late Comedy Icon Joan Rivers Convinced Country Music Veteran Judy Collins Not to Take Her Life After Her Son Died by Suicide
Judy Collins was unsure if she would make it following her son's suicide.
Dec. 24 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Comedy queen Joan Rivers saved country music hero Judy Collins from killing herself as she was swallowed by grief over her son's death, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The late stand-up and actress, who died aged 81 in 2014, got in touch with the sad songbird when she lost her only son, Clark, to suicide in 1992 at the age of 33. Send in the Clowns singer Collins has now told how a call from Rivers – killed by a cardiac arrest following complications from surgery – saved her from following him down the same grim path.
'I Thought My Life Was Finished'
Rivers helped keep Collins away from killing herself following the death of her son.
She told interviewer Rona Cherry, who chatted to the singer for the January/February issue of Spirituality & Health magazine: "When my son died, I really didn't know if I would make it. It was devastating to me. I thought my life was finished, and I was getting ready to put my career on hold and cancel all my scheduled performances."
When Rona asked: "What stopped you?", Collins revealed: "I got a call from Joan Rivers – whose husband had committed suicide a few years before. She said, 'I know you want to quit, but you can't stop working, because if you do, you aren't going to heal.'
"I took her words to heart. Therapy, meditation, writing, and having the support of family and compassionate friends all helped me. Friends keep us on the planet."
Collins has had tattoos of her son's name and a bluebird inked on her wrist as she believes they are a way to "survive death."
Collins reveals she got words of encouragement from the comedy legend.
The singer said about her other survival methods amid grief: "I draw from a variety of spiritual practices and traditions. I pray a lot. I read a lot of spiritual books, and I'm always learning. I'm fascinated with Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism. There are a number of Buddhas from around the world in my home, and a Saint Francis too.
"Over the years, I've met a lot of gurus, including the Maharishi and Krishnamurti, and I use the wisdom of all the gurus I can think of. I also maintain a connection to my Christian roots – I was originally raised as a Methodist – and go to church. I love the music. I love the ceremonies."
Collins has been battered by a string of setbacks over the decades, including alcoholism, a 10-year bulimia battle, and a suicide attempt of her own.
She said in 2022: "I was at my darkest after Clark's death and had already started to pull the plug on everything. I got a call from Joan Rivers, who lost her husband to suicide.
'You Can't Stop Working'
Rivers urged the country singer to continue work to battle grief.
"I was going to cancel all my shows and put my career on hold, and she said, 'You can't stop working, because if you stop, you'll never get out the other side.'"
Rivers was married to Edgar Rosenberg from 1965 until he died by suicide in 1987. Collins has become a suicide prevention advocate, writing the 2003 book Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength on the subject.
She has also become a regular speaker on mental health and suicide prevention.
Collins once said: "Get (the taboos) out into the open, whether it's addiction or suicide."
How Princess Diana Helped Judy Collins
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Collins also credited Princess Diana for helping her in her life.
She also credits Princess Diana's example for helping her in life.
Collins said, "Starting therapy at 23 was essential to me. I had to talk about the alcoholism, and I had to talk about the depression and the suicide attempt.
"Princess Diana was the first person that I ever saw in public talking about bulimia. I didn't talk about it at the time, but I knew all those years that I had a problem. Alcoholism is an illness, and so are eating disorders. There's been a huge sea change in people's ability to talk about these 'taboos.'"
