page_title: Naya Rivera
section_title: Reactions
hierarchical_section_title: Naya Rivera / Disappearance and death / Reactions
caption_attribution_description: Somebody To Love
context_page_description: Naya Marie Rivera was an American actress, singer, and model. She began her career as a child actress and model, appearing in national television commercials before landing the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family at the age of four and earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at five. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, Rivera got her breakthrough role in 2009 as lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee. For the role, she received critical acclaim and various awards, including a SAG Award and ALMA Award, as well as three Grammy and one Brit Award nominations.
  Rivera was signed to Columbia Records as a solo musical artist in 2011 and – despite never releasing a studio album – released a single, "Sorry", in 2013. She won two ALMA Awards as a music artist. On the big screen, Rivera made her debut in the horror film At the Devil's Door before playing a supporting role in the comedy Mad Families. Besides performing, Rivera championed various charitable causes, particularly for LGBT+ rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights.
context_section_description: Fans of Rivera posted messages of support during the time of her disappearance, and tributes after she was found dead. Her family thanked them for the "outpouring of love" in a message shared on July 15. Rivera's ex-fiancé Big Sean wrote a post on July 19 saying she was "a hero", referring to saving her son and the representation she gave for many. Her ex-husband Dorsey made no public statement until after Rivera's funeral, when he posted on Instagram to say that he was still finding her death hard to believe, but that having their son makes coping easier "because a part of [Rivera] will always be with [him]", promising to raise Josey knowing who his mother was. Other reactions from public figures included prominent politicians Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris, who noted her profound impact in creating intersectional representation, and performers from across music, television, film, and theatre.
  Rivera's many Glee co-stars, a group of whom had gathered at the lake on July 13 to say prayers shortly before her body was found, also paid tribute. Jane Lynch was one of the first to react after her death, tweeting "Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were"; several other members of the cast also described her as "a force". The show's creators, Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk, announced that they planned to start a college fund for Rivera's son, Josey. Heather Morris posted photos of their sons together, calling her a "consistent and loving friend" who was the "strongest and most resilient human being [she knew]", and shared a video of herself dancing to Rivera's song "Radio Silence" in tribute.
  Chris Colfer guest wrote an article for Variety eulogizing her. Amber Riley, under her stage name Riley, performed a tribute to Rivera on the August 27, 2020 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!; guest host Lil Rel Howery, another friend of the late actress, organized the tribute when a musical guest dropped out, inviting Riley instead. The performance, broadcast in black-and-white, included a montage of images from Rivera's life provided by her mother.
  The media noted that Rivera's body was found on the anniversary of the death of her co-star Cory Monteith seven years earlier; a tribute she had sung for him, the song "If I Die Young", saw a surge of views. Lea Michele posted black-and-white images of Monteith and Rivera on Instagram to remember both of the actors, while Max Adler tweeted "Hey, July 13th" followed by a middle finger emoji and John Lock tweeted "today of all the days" as reactions to the deaths of their co-stars. Another member of the cast, Kevin McHale, tweeted that "[he is] not religious by any means, but you'd be hard-pressed to convince [him] that Cory didn't help find our girl [Rivera] today". Monteith's mother, Ann McGregor, also posted a lengthy tribute, writing how much Rivera's friendship had meant to her son and their family and saying: "We'll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity".
  A memorial to Rivera was constructed under the Lake Piru sign in the days after her death. Lake Piru remained closed to the public for over a month after Rivera's death. It planned to reopen on August 17, 2020, but the Holser Fire between the town of Piru and the reservoir prevented access and the lake remained closed until August 20. While it reopened for fishing and boating, swimming at the reservoir is now prohibited. It had previously been closed to the public while creating COVID-19 safety plans, initially reopening on July 1, 2020.
caption: Rivera and Cory Monteith performing during the Glee concert tour in 2011; the friends and co-stars were found dead on the same day seven years apart, with tributes being made to both of them.
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