Former Glee star Naya Rivera died earlier in July at 33 after an outing on Lake Piru in California took a tragic turn. Fans of the singer and actress will have a chance to see her final TV appearance shortly courtesy of Netflix. Rivera will appear in an episode of Sugar Rush Season 3 as a guest judge.
Naya Rivera filmed an episode of Netflix's Sugar Rush back in February prior to production halts throughout the entertainment industry, and Deadline reports that after carefully considering this situation with her former manager, Netflix decided to release the footage as part of the third season. The episode has been dedicated to Rivera, and viewers can expect an on-screen message in tribute to her ahead of the opening credits.
The episode was the last thing that Naya Rivera shot before the production shutdowns. The actress was expected to reprise her role on the Step Up TV show when it made its Starz debut. The Sugar Rush episode will feature Rivera on the panel with professional chefs and regular judges Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo, with host Hunter March on hand.
The third season of Sugar Rush, called Extra Sweet, releases on Friday, July 31 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix. The premiere date was announced in late June, well before Naya Rivera's disappearance was first reported. The show is a fast-paced competition series that challenges teams of bakers to create treats against a clock, through three rounds: cupcakes, confections, and cakes. Take a look at the trailer:
Although Naya Rivera is not featured in the trailer for Sugar Rush Season 3, the preview footage indicates that her final TV appearance will be on a fun show. It also won't be the only time the actress contributed to a show as a guest judge. She filled the same role on RuPaul's Drag Race in 2017, and Netflix went the extra mile to dedicate the episode to her.
Naya Rivera went missing on July 8, when she did not return a rented boat that she took out onto Lake Piru with her 4-year-old son Josey. Despite hopeful messages and an ongoing search, Rivera was presumed drowned when she couldn't be located. Her body was found on July 13, and her confirmed death resulted in an outpouring of grief and emotional tributes from her Glee cast members. Authorities in Ventura County revealed that Naya Rivera's final act was likely saving her young son's life before she drowned.
See Naya Rivera's final TV appearance as a guest judge in Sugar Rush Season 3, which will be available on Netflix starting on July 31 at 12:01 a.m. PT as one of the many shows hitting the streaming giant in 2020. You can also find Rivera in the role that was her big break with all six seasons of Santana Lopez on Glee streaming on Netflix as well.
