In Remembrance: Naya Rivera

It was announced this week Glee star Naya Rivera unfortunately died after going swimming with her four-year-old son at Lake Piru, California.

Naya was born in Santa Clarita, California on 12 January 1987. From only eight months old, she was already making a name for herself as she was being represented by the same talent agent as her mother –former model Yolanda.

In 1991 – at only four years old – Rivera got her big break when she appeared in the American sitcom The Royal Family – as Hillary Winston. The show was a success with many positive reviews; however, it was unfortunately cancelled after main star Redd Foxx died after suffering a heart attack on set – which a young Rivera witnessed.

Within the next few years, Naya had many small roles in popular shows including: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Baywatch, Smart Guy, Even Stevens and The Master of Disguise. Her stand out role of her career came when she was cast as Santana Lopez in the musical comedy series (that tackled many real-life issues), Glee.

Rivera took the decision to audition for the show as she had the opportunity to not only sing, but dance and act at the same time. Her character Santana was the high school cheerleader who Naya described as “really mean and loves boys”. She also branded her as “a bit of a bad girl who is really snarky and always has these really witty one-liners.”

Santana Lopez became a series regular in Glee more in the second series. It was also in this series it was revealed Santana was lesbian after professing her love for her best friend and future wife in the show Brittany S. Pierce (played by Heather Morris). Rivera’s role as Santana in this storyline received many positive reviews as she became a new role model to young queer women on an international level.

Whilst Glee was reaching even more success, in 2011 Rivera signed a record deal with Columbia Records to record and produce her first solo album. Her debut single “Sorry” was released in 2013 and featured rapper Big Sean. Unfortunately, in 2014, Rivera was dropped from Columbia Records.

Rivera reached success after success with her career – especially with Glee – as she became more of a series regular and performed some of the shows most memorable songs. These included: “Valerie”, “Back to Black”, “Smooth Criminal”, “Mine”, “Girl on Fire”, “Don’t rain on my parade” and many more.

Behind the scenes, from 2008 to 2010 Naya dated co-star Mark Salling (who played Noah Puckerman on Glee). However, Mark Salling was arrested in 2015 for possessing child pornography and later committed suicide. Rivera explained how she was not “totally shocked” by the revelation.

In 2013, she later started dating recording artist Big Sean and the pair got engaged in October in the same year. However, they ended their relationship in April 2014. After her split, she began dating Ryan Dorsey – who she had previously dated four years before – and married in July 2014.

Rivera and Dorsey announced they were expecting their first child together in 2015 and Josey was born in September 2015. Unfortunately, Naya and Ryan divorced in 2018.

Rivera was dedicated to her young son Josey and thought the world of him. In interviews, Naya spoke endlessly about Josey and what it meant to be a mum. She told “People” in September 2018 “First and foremost, everything I do is for Josey.”

Only a few years later in 2016, she said in an interview with ET “I’m a mom now, and what I love more than acting is being Josey’s mum. So, I want to be here for him. And I don’t want to miss anything.”

In her last Instagram post, Rivera titled it with the caption “Just the two of us”, as she kissed her son.

On 8 July 2020, Naya and Josey rented a boat at Lake Piru, California so the two of them could go swimming. However, three hours later Josey was found asleep in the boat alone, with an unused adult life jacket in the boat alongside him.

In the days after her disappearance, river crews continued to search for her, as well as her family and co-stars from Glee helping in the effort in the hope to bring her back safely. Unfortunately, on 13 July, a body was found and was later revealed to be Naya Rivera. It was also revealed in her last moments, she used her last bit of energy to get her son back to the boat safely in time. However, she was sadly not able to save herself.

Naya Rivera was a young talent who not only became a standout character on Glee as the fierce and inspiring (as a lesbian role model) Santana Lopez, but in reality, she was a loving mother who up to her last moments expressed this maternal love by saving her son.

She will be dearly missed, not only by her family and friends, but also her fans around the world.

By Katie Green

Feature image: Deadline