The year 2020 was a sad year for the fans of the show Glee and those that loved Naya Rivera and for what she stood for. The world stood in awe as the news of the American actress passing away sent ripples across Hollywood. With the looming pandemic already creating scenes of despair in the country, the death of Naya Rivera and Naya Rivera funeral further send shocks through the country and the entertainment scene of the USA. So, how did it all happen? Where did Naya Rivera drown? What did Naya Rivera’s son tell the police? Most importantly, how did authorities find Naya Rivera’s son? There are many questions to answer and before we head to the sad day, Naya Rivera funeral, let’s look at how one of the kindest Hollywood stars spent their life and what led to her demise.
Born in 1987, Naya Marie Rivera spent most of her life in Los Angeles and had a single parent as her parents separated after she was born. Rivera had ups and downs early on in life as at times when the income flowed in, the family would thrive. However, many times the family would see a difficult financial situation. Soon, the family started to depend on Naya Rivera and the income she generated as a child actress. She was approached by the same talent agency that her mum was once associated with. As a child, Naya Rivera was drawn to talent as she was a huge fan of Michael Jackson. Rivera was considered very lucky as she became friends with Tupac Shakur and other soon-to-be stellar celebrities when she was young.
After completing college, Rivera wanted to become a cheerleader however her family was unable to afford it. As a child, she was never able to focus on high school and all the activities that came along with being a proper full-time student. She spent her time at acting auditions in the hopes of securing a role. But the main reason for escaping a student life was the bullying and racism she had to face since many students would indulge in using slurs.
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Rivera and her acting career
Rivera’s acting career is an interesting one. Before the announcement of Naya Rivera funeral, the world saw Rivera kick start her acting career once again. Let’s look at the ups and downs the celebrity faced in her acting career.
She started acting from the age of 4 and starred in the 1990s famous comedy sitcom, The Royal Family. The interesting thing about the star was that she was never able to read from the script on set. Rivera spent her time dedicated to acting from an early age and would recite and memorize the lines. This skill of hers made her immaculate on the set as she would never mess her lines up. The celebrity was nominated for a young artist award for her role in The Royal Family. She also earned several roles in black sitcoms like the fresh prince of bel-air, even stevens, and many more. As she grew older, she slowly realized how society would look to her. Her mixed-race not only gave her opportunities but also hindered her from the acting scene. During her teenage years, she recorded music to make a living but it never worked out for her. As the roles died down and the opportunities reduced, she started working in different corporate environments, first as a telesales marketer and then nanny and store representative at one of the leading clothing brands at the time, Abercrombie and Fitch.
Rivera got her breakthrough when she was chosen to play the role of Santana Lopez in the most acclaimed musical comedy series Glee. She impressed the producers at the time who decided to give her increased screen time which went down great with the fans of the show as they loved the character she played. Santana’s character developed slowly in the second and third seasons with the latter showing how she explored her sexuality and realized she was attracted to the same sex. This was a setup done for a quick punchline by the scriptwriters however she was adamant to push for the LGBT community and blended in the role perfectly.
Rivera, in the year 2011, received several awards not only for acting but also for singing. She rose to fame later on in the year when her character Samatha came out on the show. In 2012, many expected her to be nominated for an Emmy however she never actually won the title with critics stating that she was too young to be nominated or even win. Rivera soon went back into singing and starred in a movie, however, both of these did not give her the right traction with the celebrity making it back to television in 2015. She starred in devious maids, the view, Glee, and more. The star did ask for a reduced role in the final season as she wanted to focus more on other work, philanthropy, and herself.
Now that we’ve gone over the star’s climb in the entertainment industry, let’s go over the latest news about the celebrity disappearing and then the inevitable Naya Rivera funeral. The disappearance of the celebrity and Naya Rivera funeral occurred in July 2020 and the incident is now out in the open as to what had actually happened and what went down at Lake Piru. However, to those who have no idea as to what happened, read on as we will take you through every bit of her last moments on this Earth. The story is gripping and unfortunately one of the saddest news in the year 2020 for the entertainment industry.
The setting of the scene: Lake Piru
By now, as the news had spread over the media, many would know where Naya Rivera’s death took place and about Naya Rivera funeral event. However, those that are reading about this incident for the first time, the scene where the incident took place was Lake Piru.
Lake Piru is a reservoir but what’s interesting about it is that this reservoir has been created by humans meaning it is not a natural reservoir. The water that fills up this behemoth of a man-made reservoir comes straight from the Santa Clara River. This isn’t the first time an incident with a celebrity was involved at Lake Piru. In 1999, the silver fox, Harrison Ford had his helicopter crash at the site of Lake Piru. The Lake is the only one in Ventura County to be converted into a recreational facility. Well, not really a recreational facility. The lake allows the citizens of the county to swim in the lake as a recreational activity. Although the lake has been open to the public since 1993, there have been several drownings reported at Lake Piru.
The Lake was closed during the year 2020 from April to July as part of the mission to curb the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic. This is a sign that Lake Piru is popular among locals and to avoid huge crowds, the district county management ensured strict SOPs. However, the restrictions were lifted in the first week of July and Naya Rivera was the first incident of death at the site after the Lake Piru was opened to the public once again.
Naya Rivera had talked about her love for Lake Piru many times. She repeatedly said that the lake was a sanctuary for her where she can ponder over life while escaping from it at the same time. Not many people find solace in a man-made reservoir, however, Naya Rivera was one of those people who loved the water and was a strong swimmer. Although she suffered from vertigo which would only get worse when she would start swimming, this never stopped the strong-willed actress to find her solace and enjoy it. She was taking medication to control her vertigo and allow her to live a normal life. However, her life was nothing but normal as she also enjoyed boating and was an experienced boater since a young age.
Rivera, in 2017, mentioned how her occasional boating trips became a nightmare when the boat was stuck due to an anchor and her father got injured with the propeller of the boat. This was one of the incidents the family had faced not knowing that later in 2020, the forces of nature will catch onto them. And indeed, it did.
Naya Rivera was a well-loved actress that had won awards since the age of 5 in the field of acting. Her role in Glee propelled her career and brought her into the limelight. What’s scary about her death is that she is not the first cast of the popular show Glee to have died. Cory and Mark were also among those that lost their lives in 2013 and 2018 respectively.
With a history of adventures and battles with her vertigo, Naya Rivera funeral brought tears to thousands in the States and millions around the world. Naya Rivera’s death became the most talked about thing on digital media with many asking “how did they find Naya Rivera’s body?” and “where did Naya Rivera drown?” on social media.
Accounts of Josey Dorsey, Naya Rivera’s son
This is where you’ll find answers to “how did authorities find Naya Rivera’s son?”, an act of a strong-willed woman that helped Josey survive against all odds.
Naya Rivera’s mother after the incident had stated that Rivera and her son aged four had planned a picnic barbecue at the serene Lake Piru. The planning had been taking place for a week and finally, on the 8th of July 2020, the two left their homes for the anticipated trip. As they reached Lake Piru, the family decided to rent out a boat and ride the calm waters of Lake Piru. At 1:00 pm, the family set off on their boat adventures not knowing that it may be their last time to boat together. The family was expected to return by 4:00 pm according to the boat rentals, however, they never returned which triggered a search party for the celebrity and her son.
The search party after being alerted of the situation were able to find Josey Dorsey. The weird thing was that Josey had left for the boating adventure with his mum, however, the search party only found Josey sleeping in his life jacket on the boat. This was reported at exactly 5:00 pm. The child was taken to a safe place away from the lake where he was interviewed by the county sheriff’s office.
There are two different counts of what Josey explained, however, many are still wondering “what did Naya Rivera’s son tell the police?”. The shaken Josey was unable to compose himself due to what he had experienced. The child went on to recall the incident stating that he and Naya Rivera, his mother, went into the water in the middle of the lake for a swim. However, shortly afterward, his mother started to panic, and fearing for the worst she got Josey onto the boat. Josey remembered the boat rocking violently, perhaps due to the winds reaching speeds of 21mph. The police reports further stated that Naya Rivera got her son on the boat before disappearing underwater. This is where the difference in the stories comes from.
The family started a lawsuit against the district management and the boat rental company and the lawsuit mentions that Naya Rivera had gotten her son to safety on the boat however due to violent winds she struggled to get on. However, what remained the same in both the accounts is Josey recalling his mum for help only to find there is no one to help or send rescue besides her four-year-old son. Josey recalled how he tried to find a rope on the boat to help her mum out of the water, however, there was no rope and she wasn’t even wearing the jacket. The violent winds may have forced Naya Rivera underwater and eventually, her solace became her resting place.
Meanwhile, a rescue mission takes place
If you’re wondering “how did they find Naya Rivera?” the story goes something like this. On July 8th, 2020, when the family had not returned, a 911 call started a search and rescue operation for the celebrity and her child. The police upon reaching Lake Piru saw a G Wagon belonging to Naya Rivera which was parked in the designated parking spot near the dock. The rescue team led by the county sheriff ventured into Lake Piru to find the family but only came across Josey sleeping in the boat alone. This was when they took Josey to safety before they were able to interview him about the incident.
Upon finding out, the sheriff decided to suspend the search until morning due to violent winds and low visibility at night. The Lake Piru, however, was closed immediately for the public until the search was completed. The next morning, the sheriff made teams within the search and rescue party and diving teams from around the region also participated in the search operation. After 24 hours of searching, on the 9th of July 2020, the sheriff had issued news to the media stating that Naya Rivera was presumed dead and that the search and rescue operation had now shifted their focus to retrieving the dead body. Usually in such situations, the search operations go on for a week at least. However, in this particular case, the incident had occurred in the waters of Lake Piru where there was no route of escape except using the boat to get to the dock. If Rivera had survived, she would’ve been found on the dock but that was not the case. The celebrity was presumed dead and now the teams were tasked with retrieving the body. Josey’s account of the scene was used as evidence to change the priority from rescuing to recovering the body.
The next day, on the 10th of July, the diver team was slashed in half as it seemed highly improbable that the body would be recovered. Instead of using divers to recover the body, the sheriff’s department suggested using sonar devices to combat the poor visibility. Sniffer dogs were brought to the location as well. The next 2 days, recovery operations continued with Josey’s father (Rivera’s ex-husband), close friends, and other family members joined on the 11th and 12th of July. There were extended family members, friends, colleagues, and fans, all of who wanted to be part of the search mission, however, they were not allowed to search the terrain of the area was dangerous and could lead to another dangerous mishap.
The search continued to the 13th of July when divers got their gears on before heading to the lake. Upon reaching the lake, the divers had noticed a body floating at around 9.30 am. Hurrying to retrieve the body, it was finally confirmed over the news that the body was of Naya Rivera which had been stuck in the waters due to vegetation, and the celebrity was officially pronounced dead. Although she went missing on the 8th of July, her death certificate mentions that she had died on the 13th of July.
For those who are shattered by the Naya Rivera death, the autopsy report released on the 14th of July stated that the cause of death was accidental drowning as there was no mark of injuries or no evidence of intoxication. The reports were made public later in September which stated that Rivera was on anxiety prescription medications, however, none of these led to her sad demise. This was received negatively by celebrities as many believed, especially Demi Lovato a singer-songwriter, that if it was a white female found in the same situation, the media would never state about drugs and anxiety prescription medications. Nobody would’ve expected that in 2020 they would be attending Naya Rivera funeral, the star that carried the show Glee whenever she made an appearance.
The announcement of Naya Rivera funeral shatters fans across the world
When the news broke that Naya Rivera had gone missing, fans in the area fled to the scene but were stopped by the county police as Lake Piru was sealed off. The sheriff had stated that no one would be allowed to conduct their search for the actress as the waters were unstable while the terrain was irregular which could lead to further accidents. Fans took the scene to social media displaying mounts of frustration as they couldn’t get to be part of the search group for their favorite actress.
Nobody in their wildest dreams was ever expecting to have Naya Rivera funeral to be held in the year 2020. The actress was healthy and had a huge career ahead of her and many truly believed that she would end up being the face of Hollywood for the current generation. However, upon the announcement of Naya Rivera funeral date, fans all over the globe could not express their sadness at the unfortunate and unexpected incident. Fans started to solve the root problem which was highlighted in the lawsuit of the celebrity before the family had Naya Rivera funeral. Fans started a petition to add warning signs near Lake Piru for the “danger of swimming” so that there isn’t another drowning case after the death of the celebrity.
Lea Michele, another Glee star had a difficult time with the entire cast of Glee. Naya Rivera’s death came as a shock to the cast who had remained close with one another after the show ended in 2015. However, during this time, Lea Michelle was one of those few people that didn’t show their disappointment for the death of her co-star. Perhaps it was just the way she was or maybe it was workplace jealousy. Whatever the reason, she got a lot of negative attention on social media from Rivera’s fans. She even received death threats for being silent about Naya Rivera funeral.
Naya Rivera funeral
Although the famed celebrity was highly social with a lot of friends in the entertainment business, the family chose to hold a small private Naya Rivera funeral. The reason for such a private Naya Rivera funeral was due to the covid SOPs. The family did not want to cause any further grief to anyone in such hard times and had decided to follow the SOPs to contain or curb the spread of the virus in the area. It was reported that around 25 people had attended Naya Rivera funeral as only close family members were there. Naya Rivera funeral was held in Forest Lawn memorial park and she was rested in that peaceful place on the 24th of July that year.
Fans from all over the region expressed their grief and mourned near the location of Naya Rivera death, Lake Piru. They gathered around the region and had their own little Naya Rivera funeral remembering all her good moments and the joy she spread through her acting career.
One of the defining moments at Naya Rivera funeral was when her sister spoke stating that Rivera was her rock. As she expressed her sadness, the small crowd broke into uncontrollable tears as they were reminding again of how a precious soul, part of their family, left them unexpectedly.
Many around the world praised the celebrity at Naya Rivera funeral for her courage and iron will. They recalled the incident that her son had reported to the police on how the celebrity used her last bit of energy to get her child to safety while risking her own life. Many took to social media the incident and wrote poems, shared emotional photographs and memories they had of Naya Rivera.
The fans who had their own little Naya Rivera funeral near Lake Piru were joined by some of the cast of Glee to show their support for the family and love for Naya Rivera. The producers of the show created a fund for Josey, Rivera’s son so that he can go to college later on when he comes of age.
Naya Rivera funeral: The legacy of kindness continues
The actress’s fans, family, and friends remembered the good things she did in life and they shared all their favorite memories at Naya Rivera funeral. As a tribute, we would like to highlight all the good things she did and her acts of kindness that many will never forget even though it has been more than half a year since Naya Rivera funeral.
The celebrity was known to support many different causes as she believed society and communities can only prosper if they supported each other. The actress was very open when it came to supporting the LGBT+ community and the immigrants as she believed that both the communities were not given their lawful rights in the country. The celebrity devoted her efforts, money, and time to GLAAD, the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation. She stood with the Trevor project, point foundation, kindred foundation among many others.
In 2009, after the celebrity got their big break with her acting career she shared how she wanted to see the community prosper the way she has been blessed. This showed that she was selfless and remained humble even when she saw fame. Unlike many actors and actresses that get big fast, she never forgot her roots and figured that devoting her time to uplifting those that were deprived and without rights was the best way to give back.
Naya Rivera funeral saw many praise her confidence and effort to do good. Even her publicist, when she was working in Glee, stated how Rivera used her fame to touch those people who were unfortunate. Many loved Rivera because she stood up against bullying and supported equal rights. The celebrity used her platform to spread bigger messages of love and societal progress.
She also attended many award shows and events where the celebrity raised thousands of dollars for many different causes. She even auctioned her kisses to the audience to raise large sums of money at the GLAAD media awards. The stellar actress even jumped on the opportunity of singing at multiple events to support various communities. The celebrity was known to volunteer her time at food banks and homeless shelters where she enjoyed providing food to the needy. She’s also known to perform for non-profit organizations to raise charity.
Her death saw the start of a GoFundMe campaign that supported “Alexandria house”, a foundation that helps the homeless and needy with food, shelter, education, and more. The campaign raised more than a couple hundred thousand dollars. The celebrity also stood behind the cause of “black lives matter” and attended the protest too showing her determination for positive change in this country.
In remembrance of the star, entertainment news has decided to support a few causes that the star believed in. Her Glee cast all decided to revisit the Christmas tradition of raising money for “Alexandria house” each year.
Before Naya Rivera funeral, the celebrity was known to be vocal about voting as well. She believed that everyone had the destiny to change the future of this country for the better using their vote. Hence, she was an advocate and promoted the youth in casting their vote, their right.
There are a lot of other activities the celebrity spends time on to help others. Her support was unwavering and unlike many other celebrities, she followed these causes until her last day. Even after Naya Rivera funeral, many took on the responsibility to uphold and support the causes she supported. This was the impact the Glee star left on the world. Those around her felt the warmth she would display when around those that were not so lucky. Her stardom never deferred her from ensuring those around her never go hungry or without a roof.
Thinking about how Naya Rivera death influenced thousands of individuals in the world is hair raising. The way the celebrity spread messages of equality and love will forever be remembered among her family, friends, and fans. Naya Rivera funeral didn’t mark an end to the celebrity but gave rise to a huge wave of community support that will be carried out year on year as a tribute to the beloved star.
