On Monday, July 13, five days after Naya Rivera went missing while out out on a lake with her son, her body was found.
The former Glee star died at the age of 33, after her son, Josey, was found alone on a boat on Lake Piru in California on July 8. A search and recovery, then rescue, operation began immediately, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department confirmed “there was no indication of foul play” or that “this was a suicide” at the press conference Wednesday after she was found.
“We had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with. Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!) She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease. She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around,” Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan said in a statement.
They went on to note that while the actress who only had a few lines in the pilot went on to have several iconic performances during the show’s run, “her greatest Glee legacy is probably the humor and humanity that she brought to” Santana and Brittany’s (Heather Morris) relationship. “Naya understood what ‘Brittana’ meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time. Naya always made sure that Santana’s love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions,” they continued. “Naya was always moved by the girls who reached out to her to tell her how much Santana and Brittany’s love affected them. Naya’s obligation to them — and to all of her fans — was obvious. She had the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent.”
“She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding. She was fun. She was kind. She was generous,” the creators added. They’re creating a college fund for her son.
Her former costars have posted tributes to Rivera (who played Santana Lopez on the popular Fox musical dramedy) to social media, just like they had when asking fans to join them prayer when she initially went missing.
Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce, Santana’s wife) looked back on their friendship in a message alongside photos of her sons and Josey. “We started out as the closest friends and then like all new things, we went through a bit of a rocky phase. However, we stuck by each other’s side and created the most beautiful friendship built out of love and understanding,” she wrote before detailing the last time she saw Rivera in person.
“You constantly taught me lessons about grief, about beauty and poise, about being strong, resilient and about not giving a f**k (but still somehow respectful),” she continued. “Yet, the utmost important lesson I learned most of all from you was being a consistent and loving friend. You were the first to check in, the first to ask questions, the first to listen..you cherished our friendship and I never took that for granted.
Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) shared photos of Rivera, late on and off-screen boyfriend Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson) — who died on the same day seven years ago — and the cast to her Instagram stories.
(Lea Michele/Instagram)
“Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness,” Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) wrote alongside a photo of the two of them. “She could turn a bad day into a great day with a single remark. She inspired and uplifted people without even trying. Being close to her was both a badge of honor and a suit of armor. Naya was truly one of a kind, and she always will be.”
“I was constantly moved by the degree to which she took care of her family, and how she looked out for her friends,” Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) wrote. “She showed up for me on numerous occasions where she didn’t have to, and I was always so grateful for her friendship then, as I certainly am now.”
“What a force you were,” Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) wrote on Twitter.
“She was my first friend and ally on our show,” Dianna Agron (Quinn) wrote on Instagram. “To work with her was a gift. There was a great deal to absorb — her work ethic, her fearlessness, her talent — supreme. Naya had a laugh that would envelop you and hold you captive. She was mesmerizing. That twinkle in her eye, her luminous smile. Naya lead with truth, humor, wit. I loved her for all of these reasons.”
See tributes from Demi Lovato (Dani), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen), Alex Newell (Unique Adams), Melissa Benoist (Marley Rose), Grant Gustin (Sebastian Smythe), and more below.
i was so intimided meeting naya for the first time. i was a fish out of water and her warmth was disarming. for all her gifts as a performer she was also gifted as a person and made anyone feel seen and included.
