Naya Rivera's "Glee" co-stars are remembering her on the anniversary of her death.
A year has passed since the late actress went missing while boating with her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, on California's Lake Piru. Josey was later found alive and, five days later, Naya's body was discovered. It was determined that she had drowned while getting her son to safety after they went for a swim. In honor of her memory, her friends and former castmates took to social media to pay tribute to Rivera.
"It hasn’t gotten easier to write a caption. You are the brightest star in my eyes Naya Rivera," wrote co-star Heather Morris, who played a cheerleader in the musical comedy. "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," posted a photo of Rivera with a caption that read, "I miss you. Every single day."
"Always a light, always with us. My heart is with you and your family today. love you Nougs," wrote Jenna Ushkowitz, who played Tina Cohen-Chang in the show, along with a photo of Naya performing on stage.
Other co-stars including Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Chris Colfer, and Lea Michele also posted photos of Naya on Instagram in memory of the star.
Naya's mother, Yolanda Previtire, spoke of the overwhelming sadness she has felt over the past year, since her daughter’s death, in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
"Sometimes, we're afraid of the sorrow being so heavy that we're afraid for our own self, 'cause this is hard. There are no words to describe what we're going through," she said. "All we know is we have each other."
Previtire added that, at times, she could feel her daughter's presence.
"I feel Naya's energy constantly telling me, 'Mom, be happy. Don't cry. I'm OK. Go get Josey. Have fun.' And I feel that it's coming from her," she said. "I literally wake up every morning, and it's almost like a restart button, and I have to shake it off, one foot at a time. And here we are."
Earlier this year, Rivera's father, George Rivera, revealed that Josey often asked about his mother, but fortunately the five-year-old's father, Ryan Dorsey, and Naya's younger sister, Nickayla Rivera, have been there to offer him an incredible support system.
"Nickayla and Ryan are doing a really great job," he said. "Tough situation, especially because he was there - it's not like you're talking about a ghost that's floating around, right? He's got memories as well, but boy is he coming around, right? Really strong kid."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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