Heather Morris Honors Naya Rivera on 4th Anniversary of ‘Glee’ Star’s Death

Four years after Glee star Naya Rivera’s tragic death, her friend and former co-star Heather Morris is paying tribute to the late actress. Taking to Instagram, Morris shared a throwback photo of herself with Rivera, alongside a heartfelt message in the post’s caption.

“I can’t believe it’s been 4 years,” Morris wrote, “boy how time flies. Yet every year I’m taken by surprise how much it still hurts. We [grew] up together, fell apart, and came back together in such a beautiful way.” She added, “God you’re missed so much…except I can’t shake the feeling you never left…you’re still here with us..guiding us to our highest potential.”

Rivera was reported missing on July 8, 2020, after she took her son Josey out in a rented boat on a Ventura, California lake. The pontoon was found with Josey aboard and unharmed, but Rivera was nowhere to be found. Authorities searched for over five days, eventually locating Rivera’s body on the morning of July 13, 2020.

After a thorough investigation, Rivera’s death was officially ruled an accidental drowning. The Blast shared a copy of Rivera’s death certificate, which lists her cause of death as “drowning” and states the tragedy claimed her life in mere “minutes.” The certificate also notes that Rivera had “no other significant conditions that contributed to her death.”

Investigators believe that in her final moments, Rivera performed a heroic act by ensuring Josey got back into the boat to keep him safe. Rivera’s father, George Rivera, discussed this selfless act, noting it was indicative of the kind of mother Naya was. “Sort of the same mantra she used for life, you know, preservation, keep going, when things are hard you keep pushing,” he said. “It just shows you the strength of the person.”