Glee cast pay tribute to Naya Rivera following her tragic death
The cast of Glee have paid tribute to Naya Rivera following her tragic death aged 33.
The actress, who played Santana Lopez on the groundbreaking series and also had roles in Devious Maids and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, was reported missing following a boat trip with her son on Lake Piru in California last week.
A spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff's Office sadly announced on Monday (July 13) that a body discovered earlier in the day was Naya. No indication of foul play or suicide has been detected.
Related: Paying tribute to the stars we've lost in 2020 – in memoriam
Following the devastating news, Naya's former Glee cast mates have paid tribute to the actress.
Jane Lynch, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Alex Newell, Samantha Ware, Lauren Potter, Damian McGinty and Glee guest star Demi Lovato – who played Santana's one-time love interest – were among those to express their heartbreak on social media.
Lea Michele also posted pictures of both Naya and her late boyfriend Cory Monteith, on the seventh anniversary of his death, to her Instagram Story.
"Rest sweet, Naya," said Jane Lynch. "What a force you were."
Amber Riley said: "My favourite duet partner. I love you. I miss you. I don't have words right now, just lots of feelings. Rest In Peace Angel."
Demi Lovato wrote: "RIP Naya Rivera. I'll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world."
Below are more of their tributes:
A post shared by Amber Riley (@msamberpriley) on Jul 13, 2020 at 9:02pm PDT
A post shared by Jenna Ushkowitz (@jennaushkowitz) on Jul 13, 2020 at 3:40pm PDT
A post shared by Darren Criss (@darrencriss) on Jul 13, 2020 at 6:00pm PDT
A post shared by Chris Colfer (@chriscolfer) on Jul 13, 2020 at 2:33pm PDT
A post shared by Alex Newell (@thealexnewell) on Jul 13, 2020 at 2:21pm PDT
Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family.
— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) July 13, 2020
My Naya, my Snixxx, my Bee. I legitimately can not imagine this world without you. pic.twitter.com/qX9t1Uhx01
— Kevin McHale (@druidDUDE) July 14, 2020
Cheerios Forever pic.twitter.com/eQoogTJmIv
— Lauren Potter (@TheLaurenPotter) July 14, 2020
Completely devastated 💔
Wishing I could find better words...
Sending love, light, and power to the family, friends, and fans of beautiful Naya. What a force. https://t.co/4kHJqxZuAL— SAMEYAAAAAA (@Sammie_Ware) July 14, 2020
Just unbelievable. Grateful to have known you and worked with you and your talent. RIP Naya. ❤️
— Damian Mc Ginty (@damianmcginty) July 13, 2020
RIP Naya Rivera. I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. pic.twitter.com/oCML03M9Kw
— Team Demi (@ddlovato) July 14, 2020
Our thoughts are with Naya's family at this time.
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