Naya Rivera’s Glee co-stars Heather Morris, Kevin McHale & more honor star on first anniversary of tragic drowning death
NAYA Rivera’s Glee co-stars have honored the late actress on the first anniversary of her tragic drowning death.
Heather Morris, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz and other cast members all shared tributes to the mom-of-one.
The Glee star, 33, went missing last year on California’s Lake Piru, while boating with her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey.
Her little boy, who was just four years old at the time, was discovered the following day and Naya was found dead five days later.
Remember their friend and former co-star, actors including Heather Morris, 34, and Kevin McHale, 33, shared their grief on social media.
Heather, who played Brittany S. Pierce in the show, shared a series of photos, including a snap and clip of her tattoo tribute, with her 1.1m Instagram followers.
Her heartfelt caption read: “It hasn’t gotten easier to write a caption. You are the brightest star in my eyes Naya Rivera.
“I’m so grateful GOD LAYED A HAND and brought us together as best friends, mom friends, scene partners, and everything in between.
“Your legacy lives on in kindness and being “that sassy queen” in my eyes. I love you forever bebe girl.”
Kevin McHale, who played Artie Abrams in Glee, wrote next to a snap of Naya: “I miss you. Every single day.”
Posting a snap of Naya as her Glee character Santana Lopez, Jenna Ushkowitz wrote: “Always a light, always with us. My heart is with you and your family today. love you Nougs.”
Earlier today Naya’s mother, Yolanda Previtire, sat down with ABC News’ Juju Chang and Good Morning America to discuss her daughter’s passing, touching on the last thing she said to her.
Yolanda recalled: “… I called her back and I said, ‘Naya, where are you?’ And she was like, ‘Oh me and Josey were gonna go to the lake and I was gonna have him fish.”
“I told her, ‘well the water’s getting choppy,’ and I said ‘I love you… and call me…. call me when you get off the water,'” Yolanda added, holding back tears during the interview.
Yolanda was able to FaceTime with Naya and Josey while they were on the water, as she took screen grabs of the young boy fishing from the boat during the call.
She said: “Thank God I took the pictures, because they were able to look at the topography of the land to locate where they were.”
However, Yolanda recalled being visited by two detectives later in the day, who informed her that while Josey was found safe, her daughter was missing.
Yolanda said: “It was almost like a force. I don’t know what it was, but I literally was just pushed backwards. I just ran backwards, if you can imagine, just screaming and I ended up in the bathroom.
“I slammed the door, I was on the floor and I had to gather myself.”
The star’s sister, Nickayla, said the next five days of searching for Naya were “absolute hell” and called the moment they found Naya “a relief, in a way.”
Yolanda remembered about the moment: “Josey was at the house literally probably for no more than 30 minutes, and he was sitting there eating his pancakes, ’cause that was his favorite thing to do at Grandma’s house… And the phone rang.”
While his mother may have passed, neither Nickayla nor Yolanda have kept quiet about Naya, as they explained they’re “honest” with Josey when he says he misses his mom.
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Yolanda explained: “It’s almost like we’re feeding off each other and lifting each other up. Josey has lifted me up so many times…”
Naya shared Josey with her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey.
The TV star’s mom added of her eldest child: “I would like my daughter Naya’s legacy to be one that teaches people to love, to care. If something is not right, try to fix it or speak up.
“And to just live life. God has given you one life. You are your own person. Love who you are, ’cause you don’t get another life.”
The late actress-singer portrayed cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons on Glee, and she is the third cast member to die in their thirties.
Her body was found exactly seven years to the day that her co-star Cory Monteith died in a hotel room in Vancouver.