Joan Rivers' daughter Melissa is "doing amazingly well" following the death of the legendary comedienne, according to a family friend.

Melissa Rivers decided to take the funnywoman off life support at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital on Thursday (04Sep14), a week after the star suffered a cardiac and respiratory arrest during a routine throat operation at a nearby clinic.

She will be laid to rest in a funeral on Sunday (07Sep14) and despite the tough time, close friend Martin Fletcher reveals Melissa, who has called the outpouring of support "humbling", is showing incredible strength as she arranges her mum's final farewell.

He tells New York's CBS News, "She is doing amazingly well. She's her mother's daughter and she is rising to the occasion."

Fletcher spoke to the media outside Rivers' Manhattan apartment building on Friday (05Sep14), when he joined members of the late star's staff to hand out pizza and water to reporters, photographers and police officers.

Rivers' assistant, Graham Reed, said, "She would have wanted you to guys to have this because you're out here all day long, in the heat."