The Glee cast is reuniting in order to honor the legacy of late castmate Naya Rivera.
Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jane Lynch, Jenna Ushkowitz, Amber Riley, Harry Shum Jr., Becca Tobin, Alex Newell, Heather Morris, Matthew Morrison, Vanessa Lengies, and Jacob Artist are set to reunite for this year’s 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Together, the group will mark the ten-year anniversary of when character Santana Lopez came out as a lesbian on the musical comedy.
One other major reason for the reunion is to pay tribute to Naya Rivera after her unexpected passing. Rivera died last year after drowning in a boating accident. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office relayed to the public in July that Rivera had gone onto Lake Piru with her 4-year-old son Josey. Three hours after they left the shore, another boater discovered the boat drifting with the child asleep onboard. This led to a week-long search for Naya Rivera that later ended on July 13 when her body was discovered. At that point, Rivera was officially pronounced dead.
Previous to this GLAAD reunion, the Glee cast started a fundraiser for the Alexandria House. The organization is a nonprofit that Rivera supported before her untimely death. The Alexandria House in Los Angeles provides safe housing for unhoused women and children. It then assists residents with the transition into permanent housing. By the end of that campaign, the GoFundMe raised $117,900 for the nonprofit organization.
In addition to most of the original cast reuniting, Demi Lovato, who portrayed Santana’s girlfriend on the Fox program, will introduce the tribute. Plus, Niecy Nash, who had a recurring role on the series, will host this year’s GLAAD Awards.
The virtual ceremony, which will air on GLAAD’s YouTube channel on April 8 at 8 p.m. EST, will honor LGBTQ excellence in film, television, and journalism. Several LGBTQ celebrities will appear as special guests including Wilson Cruz, Laverne Cox, Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bennett, Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, Anthony Rapp, Bretman Rock, JoJo Siwa, Sam Smith, and more.
