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Demi Lovato has honored Naya Rivera on social media to say her final goodbye. The 27-year-old singer wrote a heart-felt message for Rivera whose body was discovered on Monday, July 13 at Lake Piru, a week after she disappeared. When the tragic news was confirmed, Lovato took the time to share her emotions on the 33-year-old’s ‘groundbreaking’ character and their time working together.
The singer and actress starred as Dani on season five of ‘Glee’. She was Rivera’s character, Santana Lopez, love interest. Lovato starred in four episodes on the hit television series from 2013-2014.
On her Instagram, Lovato praised Rivera for being an icon on television for the LGBTQ+ community and for inspiring a generation of Latina women all over the world.
“RIP Naya Rivera. I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted queer girls (like me at the time) and open queer girls, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time.. ❤️🕊”, posted Lovato.
The day after Rivera went missing, Demi asked fans for hope that the ‘Glee’ actress would be found alive, writing “Please pray for @nayarivera to be found safe and sound.”
In addition, many of Rivera’s former co-stars and close friends in Hollywood have taken to social media to express their condolences including, Jane Lynch, Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Colfer, and more.
‘Glee’ actor, Colfer wrote: “How can you convey all your love and respect for someone in one post? How can you summarize a decade of friendship and laughter with words alone? If you were friends with Naya Rivera, you simply can’t,” He added, “Her brilliance and humor were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness.”