Famous friends and fans celebrated the “Glee” star via social media Thursday, one year after her tragic drowning death.
Jenna Ushkowitz who played Tina Cohen-Chang on the Fox series, put up a heartfelt note on Instagram reading, “Always a light, always with us. My heart is with you and your family today. ♥️ love you Nougs.”
“I miss you. Every single day,” Kevin McHale, who played Artie Abrams on the show, posted on Instagram alongside a red carpet photo of the actress.
Matthew Morrison, who played Will Schuester, posted a photo of Rivera with a heart emoji.
Rivera went missing on July 8, 2020 during a boating trip with her young son, Josey, on Southern California’s Lake Piru. A search for the actress ended on July 13 when her body was found and she was confirmed dead. She was 33 years old.
Fans of the multi-talented performer also posted messages Thursday remembering the star.
“One year without you and the pain is still the same,” a fan wrote.
On Thursday the late star’s mother, Yolanda Previtire, said on “Good Morning America” that there are “no words to describe what we’re going through,” as the family attends therapy sessions and struggles with their daily lives while helping to look after Rivera’s 5-year-old son.
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Josey was found unharmed on the boat after his mother went missing.
Josey is being cared for by Naya’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, as well as the actress’ 27-year-old sister, Nickayla Rivera. Nickayla moved in with Dorsey following her sister’s death to help raise her nephew — a move that prompted some salacious gossip and led Dorsey to blast the “absurd narratives” circulating last year about the nature of their relationship.
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“I knew right when it happened, right when we got him, I knew the role that I had to take,” Nickayla said on “GMA” about helping to raise Josey.
