Glee creators set up college fund for Naya Rivera's four-year-old son
Naya died from 'accidental drowning'
Following the tragic news that 33-year-old actress Naya Rivera's body was found by police after she drowned in Lake Piru, California, the creators of Glee have paid tribute to the mum-of-one, revealing they are going to set up a fund for her four-year-old son Josey.
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, who created the popular FOX show, have announced they are going to set up a college fund for Josey, after he was found alone on a boat when his mum accidentally drowned in the tragic accident last week.
Paying tribute to Naya in a statement, the three creators said, 'We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend Naya Rivera ... Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey. The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.'
Ryan, Brad and Ian also paid tribute to Naya's amazing work, after she played the role of cheerleader Santana Lopez between 2009-2015.
'Naya wasn't a series regular when we cast her on 'Glee'. She didn't have more than a few lines in the pilot. But it didn't take more than an episode or two for us to realise that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with.
'Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!) She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease. She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around ... Naya was a real pro.
'Always on time, always knew her lines (which wasn't easy considering the giant mouthfuls of dialogue we often gave her), always kept everyone laughing on the set. She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding.'
They concluded, 'She was fun. She was kind. She was generous. There were ups and downs during the wonderful and stressful years we spent making Glee. We disagreed, we fought, we made up, then we fought some more, than we made up again. The kinds of things that happen in a family. Naya was more than just an actor on our show - she was our friend.'
Police confirmed they'd found Naya's body during a search of the lake on Monday 13th July. A statement from the Ventura Country Sheriff's office read, 'The news conference has concluded. Sheriff Ayub has confirmed the body recovered at Lake Piru today was Naya Rivera. Our hearts go out to her family, friends and fans during this difficult time. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of her death.' (sic)
Naya's Glee co-stars were quick to pay tribute to the actress on social media. The likes of Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray), Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams), Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), and many more all remembered their friend and co-star.
Naya shared her four-year-old son Josey with her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, giving birth to him back in September 2015.
Just hours before her tragic death, Naya posted an adorable photo alongside Josey to her social media accounts, simply writing, 'just the two of us'. (sic)
Our thoughts are with Naya's family and friends at this tragic time.