Naya Rivera, the Grammy-nominated singer and actress best known for her role as Santana Lopez on Glee, was declared dead on Monday at the age of 33.
A body was recovered Monday at Lake Piru in Southern California, the site where Glee actress went missing last Wednesday while boating with her 4-year-old son. Divers recovered the body around 9:30 a.m. floating on the surface of the water, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Ayub confirmed the body recovered was that of Rivera’s during a Monday press conference. “Our hearts go out to her family, friends and fans during this difficult time. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of her death,” they tweeted.
Rivera’s four-year-old son told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming in the lake, and she helped him get back in the boat, but saw Rivera disappear under the surface of the water. Rivera’s son, whose father is Ryan Dorsey, was reported to be unharmed.
Following the news, Hollywood figures have taken to social media to pay tribute to the actress, whose career broke out in 2009 on Ryan Murphy’s mega-hit Fox musical dramedy Glee playing snarky cheerleader Santana Lopez. Following her role on the musical comedy-drama series, Rivera had a recurring role on the Lifetime drama series Devious Maids. She most recently starred opposite Ne-Yo on the TV update of Step Up, which recently moved from its former home at YouTube to premium cable network Starz for its second season.
A body presumed to be Rivera’s was recovered on the seven-year anniversary of Glee star Cory Monteith, who died on July 13, 2013 from a drug overdose.
“Naya Rivera was a fierce talent with so much more to do and this is such a terrible tragedy. We are forever grateful for the indelible contribution she made to Glee, from the first episode to the last. Our hearts are broken and our thoughts go out to Naya’s family, friends and young son,” 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment, which produced Glee, said of Rivera in a statement sent to THR.
“Our hearts go out to Naya Rivera’s family, especially her young child, in response to the tragic news of her passing,” Starz and Lionsgate said in a statement. “She was a vibrant and luminous talent who will always remain a very special part of our Step Up family. Her remarkable contributions to our industry created a lasting memory that will be carried forward by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Jane Lynch, who starred alongside Rivera on Glee as Sue Sylvester, paid tribute to the actress on Twitter writing, “Rest Sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family.”
Chris Colfer, who starred in Glee as Kurt Hummel, wrote on Instagram: “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? 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.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter