London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

“Glee” Cast Members And Fans Are Paying Tribute To Naya Rivera After Her Body Was Found

"Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly,” Glee’s Chris Colfer said.

Naya Rivera, best known for playing the character Santana Lopez on Glee, was found dead on Monday after she went missing from a boat on Lake Piru outside of Los Angeles.

Rivera was on the boat last Wednesday with her 4-year-old son, Josey. According to Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, Josey told investigators he was swimming with his mother when she boosted him back into the boat. The child then saw her disappear into the water.

Glee cast members initially shared messages of hope on social media during the search for Rivera. Now that her body has been recovered, they are paying tribute by sharing photos and memories in honor of her life.

Jane Lynch, who starred as cheer coach Sue Sylvester on the Fox musical comedy, tweeted, “Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family.”

Chris Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on Glee, shared a photo of himself with Rivera on Instagram alongside 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. Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly.”

“She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness,” Colfer continued. “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."

Joshua Sussman, who played Jacob Ben Israel on the show, tweeted, “Naya, you will be missed so much.”

Kevin McHale, who played Artie Abrams on the series, shared a photo with Rivera along with a Twitter thread, explaining how the two of them were together seven years ago today when they found out Cory Monteith had died.

"I’m thankful for all the ways in which she made me a better person," McHale wrote. "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.

Alex Newell, who was Unique Adams on Glee, tweeted, "Now more than ever we must lift her family and friends up especially Josey! My heart is sent to them... Josey you are truly loved by every single person who loves your mommy! I love you Naya!"


Fans also shared on social media what Rivera and her Glee character meant to them. Twitter user @IssyFields wrote, “Naya was a powerhouse not just on Glee, but in life. Her portrayal of Santana gave me the confidence to be unapologetically myself and made millions of voices heard. Glee has memorialised her beautiful talents forever because she is, and always will be, a hero.”

People also posted videos of Rivera’s beloved performances, from “Smooth Criminal” and “Girl on Fire” to “Valerie” and “Here Comes the Sun.”

A lot of people shared how much they appreciate the representation Rivera gave people as a lesbian Latina character onscreen.

The Voice’s Bryana Salaz said she “didn’t realize the impact” Rivera had on her life growing up as “the first POC, LGBTQ character I saw on screen. I grew up listening to you sing, being inspired by the girl on Glee who looks like me & is unapologetically herself. You changed so many lives. Rest easy angel.”


YA author Robbie Couch wrote, “Naya Rivera helped countless queer kids feel more comfortable in this world. What a legacy.”

Twitter user Luke Birch wrote that he’s “devastated” about Rivera's death because she helped give him “the strength I needed to come to terms with my sexuality.”

“Seeing characters like Santana gave me so much hope & courage,” he said. “You helped an entire generation of LGBTQ+ people, Naya.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×