The entertainment world is in mourning over actress Naya Rivera‘s death. Ventura County officials recovered her body from Lake Piru in California on Monday, July 13, five days after she first went missing during a boating trip with her 4-year-old son Josey.
Several of her Glee costars have written heartfelt dedications to their longtime pal in the hours since news broke about her tragic passing.
“How can you convey all your love and respect for someone in one post?,” Chris Colfer penned on his Instagram. “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.”
Jenna Ushkowitz wrote something similar, saying in part, “Naya, you were a force and everyone who got to be around you knew it and felt the light and joy you exuded when you walked into a room.”
She was bold. She was outrageous. She was a LOT of fun.
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.
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) July 14, 2020
Darren Criss hailed her as “bold”, “outrageous” and “a LOT of fun”, Kevin McHale called Naya his “bee” and Jane Lynch referred to her as simply “sweet”.
https://twitter.com/Peppermint247/status/1282745508361121793
RuPaul’s Drag Race and Broadway star Peppermint spoke about her experience meeting Naya on the set of the Emmy-winning series. Naya was the guest star during the Morning Show challenge on season 9.
Lea Michele paid tribute to both Naya and her late ex-boyfriend & former Glee castmate Cory Monteith by posting two beautiful black & white photos of them on her Instagram stories. He died on July 13, 2013, at the age of 31 from a combined drug intoxication.
Rest in peace Naya.