Since news broke of Naya Rivera’s death, the outpouring of love and grief has been immense. The late Glee actress went missing on July 8, after renting a boat to take out on Lake Piru with her four-year-old son, Josey. Five days later, on July 13, Rivera’s body was recovered and the cause of death was confirmed to be accidental drowning. Recently, Cory Monteith’s mom paid tribute to Rivera in a heartfelt post.
Several former Glee co-stars honored Naya Rivera at the location of her disappearance right before she was found. Since the announcement of her death, the late actress' co-stars have been posting thoughtful and loving messages and stories about Rivera. Cory Monteith's mother, Ann McGregor, also shared a beautiful tribute to Rivera, touching upon her friendship with Monteith, who died seven years ago. Here's what McGregor wrote in an Instagram post:
For the last 7 years the 13th of July has shattered our hearts beyond repair. There aren’t enough words to describe the pain we are feeling, we are truly heartbroken at the loss of [Naya Rivera]. Naya, Cory loved you so so much. He cherished your friendship more than you will ever know. From the laughs you shared, to the strength you gave him when he needed it the most. Cory truly adored you. He was in awe of your incredible talent, the way you gave everything you had to each performance; the slap in the auditorium was one of his favourite stories to share.
The post is incredibly thoughtful, lovely, and full of emotion. I can only imagine how gutted Ann McGregor was when she heard about Naya Rivera’s death on the exact same day that her own son died. She stated how “truly heartbroken” she was and went on to add how much Rivera meant to her family. In her words:
You once said Cory was like a member of your family; you will always be a part of ours. We’ll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity. We send all our love and strength to your beautiful boy, your family, friends and fans.
Included alongside the tribute are pictures of Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera together, laughing and looking happy. It’s so sad to think that they’re no longer with us. You can read Ann McGregor’s full message below.
It’s incredibly tragic that on the seventh anniversary of Cory Monteith’s death, Naya Rivera’s body was found at Lake Piru. Monteith died from mixed drug toxicity, a combination of heroin and alcohol that was ruled accidental. Glee alum Kevin McHale was convinced that Monteith somehow helped find Rivera after five days of searching, despite not being religious. They were both gone too soon.
Our sincerest condolences go out to Naya Rivera's family, friends, and loved ones who are grieving in this difficult time.
