Glee’s Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer And More Pay Tribute to Naya Rivera

Published on July 14, 2020.

The Glee cast is mourning the loss of their friend and former costar Naya Rivera.

Rivera has been confirmed dead five days after going missing following a boating outing with her four-year-old son Josey. Her body was discovered in the Southern California lake on Monday morning. She was 33.

Stars and friends have flocked to social media to express their sympathy and sadness over Rivera’s tragic death, including many of her former costars from Glee.

“Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were,” tweeted Jane Lynch, who played cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Glee. “Love and peace to your family.”

Chris Colfer, who played Glee club member Kurt Hummel, posted an emotional caption alongside an Instagram photo of the pair. “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?” he began.

“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. 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. Sending all my love to her wonderful family and her beautiful son.”

Darren Criss, who played Blaine Andreson on the show, also expressed his sorrow with a touching tribute. He began, “She was bold. She was outrageous. She was a LOT of fun.⁣ Naya made me laugh like no one else on that set. I always said it while we were working together and I’ve maintained it ever since. Her playful, wicked sense of humor never ceased to bring a smile to my face.”

“She played by her own rules and was in a class of her own. She had a brashness about her that I couldn’t help but be enchanted by. I also always loved her voice, and savored every chance I got to hear her sing. I think she had more talent than we would have ever been able to see,” he continued.

“I was constantly moved by the degree to which she took care of her family, and how she looked out for her friends. She showed up for me on numerous occasions where she didn’t have to, and I was always so grateful for her friendship then, as I certainly am now.⁣”

“And even as I sit here, struggling to comprehend, gutted beyond description- the very thought of her cracks me up and still brings a smile to my face. That was Naya’s gift. And it’s a gift that will never go away,” he wrote, and concluded, “Rest in peace you wild, hilarious, beautiful angel.”