Former “Glee” star Naya Rivera who accidentally drowned during a visit to California’s Lake Piru last week, is being remembered by the show’s creators as a dynamic woman and a “real pro”. The creators of the show also pledged to fund the college education of Rivera’s son.
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan have issued a statement praising the 33-year-old; explaining that it was Rivera’s talent that made her character, Santana Lopez, a fan favourite.
They also sent their condolences to Rivera’s family; “especially her mom Yolanda, who was a big part of the ‘Glee’ family, and her son Josey.”
Read the post below:
Rivera shared 4-year-old Josey with her ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey. “The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all,” the creators said.
Naya Rivera’s body was found on July 13, five days after she disappeared while on a boat outing with her son, Josey. After Rivera failed to return the boat, personnel on the dock discovered the child; wearing a life jacket and asleep in the vessel, alone.
Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a press conference Monday that the child told investigators that he and his mother went for a swim. According to the child, Rivera pushed him back into the boat but then disappeared under the surface of the water. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed her identity Tuesday.
Murphy, Falchuk and Brennan recalled that when they first cast Rivera in the role of Santana, they did not intend for her to be a series regular. In the pilot, they added, she only had a few lines.
“It didn’t take more than an episode or two for us to realize that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with,” they wrote.
“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 was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.”
However, according to them, Rivera had a greater contribution to the show; the tenderness she brought to Santana’s groundbreaking same-sex relationship with actress Heather Morris’ character, Brittany. Fans dubbed the pairing “Brittana.”
“Naya understood what ‘Brittana’ meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time,” they wrote. “Naya’s obligation to them — and to all her fans — was obvious. She had a rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent.”
“Naya was more than just an actor on our show,” they added. “She was our friend.”