Rivera had been visiting the lake for years, and was considered a strong swimmer, but had been planning to have a barbecue with her son by the lake before deciding to rent a boat upon arrival. [11], Rivera appeared in commercials for Kmart as a baby, but her first significant acting job was at the age of four when she appeared as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family in 1991. A look at Naya Rivera's nearly three-decade TV career. [42] Still, she said that on The Royal Family she "fell in love with being on TV";[19] she received a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance in the series. For her work on Glee, she won 9 awards from 24 nominations. The cast of “Glee” has dealt with its share of tragedy.

[263], On July 13, it was announced that a body had been found floating in Lake Piru by divers when the search resumed in the morning, at around 9:30 a.m.;[248][264][265] the body was confirmed to be Rivera's at a press conference held later that day. Naya Rivera, the singer and actor best known for playing the acid-tongued cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee, accidentally drowned while on a boat ride on Lake Piru on July 8, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Monday. Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a press conference Thursday. [330][331], As a featured singer in the cast of Glee, Rivera and her castmates released many singles and held numerous accolades; in 2011 they were collectively nominated for a Grammy Award for their version of "Don't Stop Believin'",[335] receiving an album Grammy nomination[336] and a Brit Award nomination,[337] and by the start of the sixth season they were the most-charting act in history[338] – a record held until March 2020. She decided to reveal more about her life and choices so that she could better feel like she deserved the title. [13] After this, Rivera had a role as a recurring character on Devious Maids, the first show on prime time television to feature five Latina actresses. Santana Lopez often had the show’s most memorable lines, and as a singer, Rivera excelled at powerful torch ballads, from Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” to Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain On My Parade” to Adele’s “Someone Like You.”. In Concert! [52] As 2011 ended, she or her character were on many "Best Of" lists, including HitFix's 25 Breakout Stars of 2011,[74] TV Guide's Best Performances of 2011,[75] and MTV's Best TV Characters of 2011[76] – in 2020, Santana appeared on the Thrillist list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters of the 21st Century, ranking at number 85 and the only Glee character included. Celebrities on Monday used their social media platforms to openly grieve the actress.

[279], 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,[280] also paid tribute. [180] Singer-songwriter Demi Lovato, who played the girlfriend of Rivera's character on Glee in its fifth season, expressed similar sentiments, writing: "The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world". A boat rental worker found Rivera's son, Josey, asleep on the boat a few hours after the rental was set to be returned. Her son was found asleep on the rental pontoon boat after it was overdue for return. [151][152][153] In 2012 she was selected by People en Español for their 50 Most Beautiful list,[154] and was listed on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list, coming in at number 39. [35] Rivera attended Valencia High School in Santa Clarita and graduated in 2005. In The Lamest Way Ever, Apparently", "iTunes – Music – Sorry (feat. [79] Discussing Emmy nominations in 2012, Collider said that Rivera was "arguably the only bright spot" of the season. As she was given more screen time, her character was also given more depth, as she grappled with being a closeted lesbian and falling in love with her best friend, Brittany (Heather Morris). [127] She appeared in the final season of Glee in 2015, but had asked for her role to be reduced so that she could focus on other work. Rivera also remained active in political and social causes throughout her career. Sure! Updated 1444 GMT (2244 HKT) July 14, 2020. How vulnerable to Covid-19 are supporters at Trump's rallies?

While on Glee, she hosted the GLAAD Awards twice. [14], As lesbian character Santana in Glee, her representation was discussed by Digital Spy's Emily Browne, who wrote that it was significant how Rivera could portray Santana's emotional response to her sexuality while not being defined by it, and show her as being a character who is "a popular, confident, smart femme". She also starred in the music video for the song.

She was an actress, known for, Spotlight: Get Schooled Foundation's Celebrity Supporters, Naya Rivera’s Sister, Nickayla Rivera, Dispels Rumors She’s Dating Ex-Brother-In-Law, Ryan Dorsey, Glee's Chris Colfer Remembers Naya Rivera & Reveals Her "Incredible" Hidden Talent, Actors & actresses I followed when they passed away, Halloween Party and Trick-or-Treat TV Posses. [69][70][71], In 2011, Rivera won her first ALMA Award, as Favorite Female Music Artist;[72] she won two more in 2012, in the categories of Favorite TV Actress – Leading Role in a Comedy and Female Music Artist. Officials recovered Rivera's body on the morning of July 13.

[302] 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. The sheriff’s office and other authorities had been searching for her body for days after she disappeared after renting out a boat on the lake with her son. [155] In May 2013, she posed nude in an issue of Allure magazine. Josey was found alone, asleep on the boat with his life jacket on, around 5:00 p.m.[31][242][243][244][245] The boat was in the Narrows, an area at the north of the lake that can be quite deep and windy.