Naya Rivera has sadly passed away at the age of 33 due to an accidental drowning in Lake Piru. It has been reported that Rivera and her 4-year-old son, Josey, rented a boat to take out onto the lake last Wednesday, and a few hours later officials responded to reports that Josey was on the boat alone. After a conversation with Josey, Ventura County Officials said that in Rivera’s last moments she helped him get back on the boat after a swim and that when he looked back he saw her disappear under the water. The search for Rivera continued over the course of the next 6 days, when eventually the police discovered a body on July 13th. They ultimately identified that it was Rivera and the autopsy had shown her death was due to an accidental drowning.

Her friends and family gathered around Lake Piru as they tried to cope with the tragedy. The family has officially released a statement following the news. In it they said:

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister. Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya. We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support. Heaven gained our sassy angel. We kindly request that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.”

Many of Rivera’s friends took to social media to express how much she meant to them. Kevin McHale, her fellow Glee co-star, posted a beautiful tribute to Rivera on Instagram. He started off his caption by writing, “My Naya, my Snixxx, my Bee. I legitimately can not imagine this world without you.”

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Another star that wrote an amazing homage to Rivera was Demi Lovato. Lovato mentions in her caption just how much Rivera’s character on Glee, Santana Lopez, meant to young girls trying to figure themselves out in such a chaotic world. 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 queer girls (like me at the time) and open queer girls, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time..”

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Darren Criss, also a co-star of Rivera’s on Glee, posted a tribute to her expressing the light she brought onto set and into his life every single day. In his caption he mentions, “Naya made me laugh like no one else on that set. I always said it while we were working together and I’ve maintained it ever since. Her playful, wicked sense of humor never ceased to bring a smile to my face.⁣”

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Naya Rivera was a talented, hard-working, passionate mother and actress. She is now survived through her parents, Yolanda and George, brother Mychal, sister Nickayla, and her son Josey. Our thoughts continue to go out to her family. 

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