"Glee" Cast Members and Fans Pay Tribute to the Late Naya Rivera

R.I.P.

Ventura County Sheriff's officials have confirmed that Naya Rivera's body has been found at a Southern Californian lake.  

The Glee star's body was discovered six days after she went missing on Lake Piru, where her four-year-old son Josey was found alone a few hours later on a boat the pair had rented. 

Josey had told investigators he was swimming with his mother when she boosted him back onto the deck. Sadly, Naya did not make it back onto the boat herself. 

Police have speculated that Naya and her son may have got caught in a current while swimming. 

Tributes have been pouring in for Naya, who played the fiery Santana Lopez on Glee, with her fellow castmates expressing their love for the talented actress. 

Chris Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on the popular series, shared a photo of himself and Naya. He captioned the post, "How can you convey all your love and respect for someone in one post? How can you summarize a decade of friendship and laughter with words alone?" 

He added, "Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly." 

Jane Lynch, who portrayed coach Sue Sylvester, tweeted "Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family." 

Many of Naya's other Glee co-stars have also written heartfelt posts. Heather Morris, who played Santana's partner Brittany Pierce, even offered to help police with the investigation over the weekend.  

Fans have also taken to social media to acknowledge the impact that Naya's brilliant portrayal of Santana had on their lives.

Santana was an openly queer character, and people are thanking Naya for playing the part with such incredible power. For many, Santana was one of the first gay characters they saw on mainstream television. 

naya rivera's character and storyline on glee was truly a bright light for me in my early teens while i was struggling with my sexuality. i felt safe, comfortable, and connected to santana before i even knew i was gay, myself. thank you naya, you will always be a hero to me❤️

— kye™️ (@o_kriegers) July 13, 2020

It’s really hard to fully explain how much Naya Rivera’s brilliant portrayal of Santana in Glee will have meant to so many gay kids. It was one of the first LGBT main characters in a mainstream show. I hope it’s a small comfort to her family how many she helped. #RIPNayaRivera

— jwm (@jvckmvckey) July 13, 2020

naya rivera was the first gay poc character i saw on tv when i was younger; may she rest in power and her familys healing be simple

— durriya!!!! (@durriyuh) July 13, 2020

R.I.P Naya.

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