Naya Rivera’s loved ones are paying tribute to the late actress and sending their condolences after her tragic death.
Rivera was pronounced dead on Monday, as her body was discovered following a five-day search. She was reported missing last Wednesday after she took a boat ride with her 4-year-old son, Josey, in Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California. The Sheriff’s Department told NBCLA that Rivera and her son rented a boat at around 1 p.m. but approximately three hours later, another boater discovered Josey in the boat by himself. TMZ reported that Josey told authorities that his mother went into the water for a swim, but never returned to the boat.
Rivera was just 33 years old. Both her famous friends and fans are speaking out about the tragedy, including her Glee co-stars.
Chris Colfer wrote, “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? If you were friends with Naya Rivera, you simply can’t. Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness. 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.”
“?Sending all my love to her wonderful family and her beautiful son,” he concluded.
“Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were,” Jane Lynch tweeted. “Love and peace to your family.”
“My heart is broken,” Alex Newell wrote. “I truly had soo much fun filming this little segment… we both clearly didn’t wanna be there but made the most of it! Naya was truly a star.. one day as I was coming out of hair and make up I saw her sitting at base camp and she said “Alex… when you go on tour can you please say ‘everybody say heeeyy Ms. Newell’’ just for me!” I said absolutely we laughed and had a short little convo about life and music.. I’ll cherish that moment for ever!! I watched her preform with such power, brilliance, and honesty.. While being a light as a person! The love she had for her family and friends was always clear! She will truly be missed! Josey you are loved by all the people who love your mother! My thoughts and prayers are with her family! Rest Sweet Angel.”
Kristin Chenoweth shared a photo of Naya and her son, writing, “Thank you for what you gave the world. I love you.”
Becca Tobin wrote, “Naya was insanely talented, breathtakingly gorgeous, and one of the wittiest people I’ve ever met, but the legacy she left behind for me is her kindness. I joined the cast of Glee in the third season and as the newcomer, I was intimidated and terrified. The cast was already such a tight-knit group who had been working incredibly hard together for over three years to make it a hit show and I never expected any of them to have time for me. To my surprise, Naya, one of the most beloved by the rest of the cast (and the entire world), showed me instant warmth and kindness. She invited me to parties and gatherings and was always there to give advice. She was a superstar who had nothing to gain from being kind to the new girl, but she was and that changed this new girl’s entire experience on that show. I will forever be grateful to that beautiful human. My heart goes out to her family and her sweet boy. ❤️.”
Kevin McHale shared an emotional tribute, alongside a photo of himself and Rivera smiling and standing side by side. “My Naya, my Snixxx, my Bee. I legitimately can not imagine this world without you,” McHale wrote. “7 years ago today, she and I were together in London when we found out about Cory. We were so far away, but I was so thankful that we had each other. A week ago today we were talking about running away to Hawaii. This doesn’t make sense. And I know it probably never will.”
“She was so independent and strong and the idea of her not being here is something I cannot comprehend. She was the single most quick-witted person I’ve ever met, with a steel-trap memory that could recall the most forgettable conversations from a decade ago verbatim. The amount of times she would memorize all of those crazy monologues on Glee the morning of and would never ever mess up during the scene… I mean, she was clearly more talented than the rest of us,” McHale’s tribute continued, in part. “She was the most talented person I’ve ever known. There is nothing she couldn’t do and I’m furious we won’t get to see more.”
