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Demi Lovato mourns the tragic loss of Naya Rivera in a moving message: My heart goes out to your loved ones
In light of the Glee alum Naya Rivera’s death, several former co-stars and close friends like Demi Lovato have taken to social media to express their grief.
On Monday, July 13, Naya Rivera was confirmed dead, at 33 by the Ventura County Sheriff Department. News of the Glee alum's tragic passing comes five days after she went missing while boating with her 4-year-old son at Lake Piru in California. The actress' toddler, Josey Dorsey, was found alone on the pontoon boat Naya rented on Wednesday, July 8. The singer's son was discovered wearing a life vest and appeared "unharmed", authorities stated.
In light of the Glee alum's death, many of her former co-stars and close friends in Hollywood have taken to social media to express their grief. Among those celebrities has been Demi Lovato, who praised the 33-year-old actress for her incredible impact on the Latin and LGBTQ+ community. The 27-year-old singer starred in four episodes on the hit television series from 2013-2014. "RIP Naya Rivera. I'll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee," Demi began her post on Instagram. "The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted queer girls (like me at the time) and open queer girls, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world," she continued. "My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time," Demi concluded.
When news broke about Naya's disappearance, Demi was one of the first to speak out. "Please pray for @nayarivera to be found safe and sound," she said on Instagram Stories at the time.
Other Glee stars including Chris Colfer also paid tribute to Naya since the news broke. "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," Chris Colfer wrote, in a moving message on Instagram. "Her brilliance and humour were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness."
He added, "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 honour and a suit of armour. Naya was truly one of a kind, and she always will be. Sending all my love to her wonderful family and her beautiful son."
At this time, law enforcement explained that an autopsy will be conducted to confirm Naya's cause of death. Moreover, positive identification of her remains will be made through dental records.
Captain Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff Office told E News that "cast members and friends gathered for a prayer at the water's edge just before the body was found."
