In a disturbing coincidence, today also marks the seven-year anniversary of the death of Rivera’s Glee co-star, Cory Monteith, who died at 31 from mixed drug toxicity. Along with Montieth and Mark Sailing, who died by suicide in 2018, Rivera is the third Glee cast member to pass away in the last seven years.
As soon as reports surfaced of Rivera’s disappearance, friends and fans of the actor took to the internet to express their sorrow and their prayers for a safe return. Among the posts appreciating Rivera’s life and work, many came from queer folks who hailed her portrayal of Lopez on Glee. Whembley Sewell, executive editor of them., wrote that Lopez “changed [her] life.”
“In high school, I desperately grasped for anything that could help me understand who I was and what my feelings meant,” Sewell tweeted on Thursday. “Santana Lopez gave me something to hold onto, tightly. It is no exaggeration to say Naya Rivera changed my life.”
Others seconded the impact that Rivera had on them. “I'll never be able to articulate the importance of seeing Naya, a Black Puerto Rican, portraying a queer Afro-Latina on primetime TV,” wrote Pose co-creator Steven Canals in a tweet. “I'm heartbroken over all the stories that will remain untold.”
A Twitter user named Nadia thanked Rivera for “being the first female poc who struggles with sexuality that I ever saw on screen.” Nadia continued, “I am beyond heartbroken on the news due to the fact that she literally changed my life and gave me hope as a young poc closeted lesbian.”
The musician Kehlani, meanwhile, shared how Rivera’s performance on Glee influenced her own artistry: “The reason songbird by fleetwood mac is one of my favorite songs ever is because of the glee soundtrack version. She transformed it.”
Below, we have compiled more of the moving responses to the beloved actor’s tragic passing.
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