Glee Stars Pay Tribute To Naya Rivera

14 July 2020, 07:08 | Updated: 14 July 2020, 07:15

After Naya Rivera tragically passed away, Demi Lovato, Lea Michele, Kevin McHale and her fellow Glee co-stars wrote touching messages on social media.

Glee's Naya Rivera sadly died, at the age of 33, after her body was found by authorities at Lake Piru.

Naya was reported missing on Wednesday, 8 July, and her death is being ruled a 'tragic accident' with no suggestion she was trying to take her own life.

Naya Rivera dances with her son

Following the news, Naya's Glee co-stars have all taken to social media to pay tribute to their friend and fellow actor, including Lea Michele and Kevin McHale.

After deleting her Twitter, Lea Michele shared two sweet tributes to both Naya and her previous partner, Cory Monteith, who both sadly passed away on the same day, years apart.

Lea posted several black and white images of her co-stars to her 6.4 million followers, via her Instagram Story.

Chris Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on the series, posted a photo of himself cuddling Naya, with the caption "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," continued Chris, before praising her sense of humour and all-round brilliance.

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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.

A post shared by Chris Colfer (@chriscolfer) on Jul 13, 2020 at 2:33pm PDT

Her other Glee co-stars also paid tribute, including Jenna Ushkowitz, who starred as Tina Cohen-Chang in Glee, writing "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.

"You shined on stage and screen and radiated with love behind closed doors. I was lucky enough to share so many laughs, martinis and secrets with you," said Jenna. She also said she "missed [Naya] already."

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There are no words and yet so many things I want to say, I don't believe I'll ever be able to articulate exactly what I feel but... 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. You shined on stage and screen and radiated with love behind closed doors. I was lucky enough to share so many laughs, martinis and secrets with you. I can not believe I took for granted that you'd always be here. Our friendship went in waves as life happens and we grow, so I will not look back and regret but know I love you and promise to help the legacy of your talent, humor, light and loyalty live on. You are so loved. You deserved the world and we will make sure Josey and your family feel that everyday. I miss you already.

A post shared by Jenna Ushkowitz (@jennaushkowitz) on Jul 13, 2020 at 3:40pm PDT

Hollywood actor, Darren Criss, wrote four posts to his 1.9 million Twitter followers, sharing his memory of Naya Rivera, starting by saying "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."

Continuing, Darren - who played Blaine Anderson on Glee - praised her talent and singing voice; as well as her compassion towards her friends and family.

Kevin McHale wrote "My Naya, my Snixxx, my Bee. I legitimately can not imagine this world without you."

"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," continued Kevin, accompanied with a photo of the two of them holding each other.

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My Naya, my Snixxx, my Bee. I legitimately can not imagine this world without you. • 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. 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. • I’m thankful for all the ways in which she made me a better person. She taught me how to advocate for myself and to speak up for the things and people that were important to me, always. I’m thankful for the times I grew an ab muscle from laughing so hard at something she said. I’m thankful she became like family. I’m thankful that my dad happened to have met her weeks before I did and when I got Glee, he told me to “look out for a girl named Naya because she seemed nice.” Well dad, she was nice and she became one of my favorite people ever. • If you were fortunate enough to have known her, you’ll know that her most natural talent of all was being a mother. The way that she loved her boy, it was truly Naya at her most peaceful. I’m thankful that Naya got that beautiful little boy got back on that boat. I’m thankful he will have a strong family around him to protect him and tell him about his incredible mom. I just hope more than anything that her family is given the space and time to come to terms with this. For having such tiny body, Naya had such a gigantic presence, a void that will now be felt by all of us - those of us who knew her personally and the millions of you who loved her through your TVs. I love you, Bee.

A post shared by Kevin McHale (@kevinmchale) on Jul 13, 2020 at 4:52pm PDT

Many of Naya's other Glee co-stars, including Jane Lynch, Jacob Artist, Vanessa Lengies and Becca Tobin, also posted tributes to her on social media.

Demi Lovato joined them, writing a lengthy message to Naya, on her Instagram, after she played her partner on Glee.

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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.. ❤️🕊

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Jul 13, 2020 at 5:29pm PDT

"I'll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee," said the 'Confident' singer.

"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.."

Naya Rivera went swimming with her son, Josey, after they rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru in South Carolina on Wednesday, but hours later Josey was found on the boat alone.

Another boater raised the alarm after seeing the vessel drifting.

Josey, whose father is Naya's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, was found to be still wearing his life jacket and was unharmed, telling officers his mum "jumped into the lake and didn't come back up," according to TMZ.

The Ventura County Sheriff's department began conducting a search for Naya after her son was found, with divers and helicopters scanning the area until darkness fell.

Officials told NBC LA that Rivera's disappearance was “considered to be a horrible accident,” saying there was no suspicion of foul play.