With the tragic passing of Naya Rivera this week, Glee creators have stepped up to create a safety net for her surviving son.
Naya Rivera’s body was recovered from Lake Piru in Ventura County, California on Monday, days after she went missing during a boating trip with her son, Josey. In response to her death many have reached out to her Glee castmates and the shows creators and production team for comment. Joint producers of the show had this to say of Rivera. In a joint statement, “Glee” producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan described the 33-year-old former child actor as a “joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.” “The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all,” they added.
Naya Rivera played openly gay cheerleader Santana Lopez on the Fox’s Glee, which quickly won critical acclaim after debuting in 2009. In a time when young openly out female characters were unheard of, Naya Rivera’s ‘Santana’ was (and continues to be) a light for many in the lgbt community.