Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan who are the creators of ‘Glee’ are said to be setting up a college funds for Naya Rivera’s son, as they mourn the tragic death of late Glee star who accidentally drowned in Lake Piru in Ventura County, near Los Angeles.
The creators of Glee who released a long statement expressing their sadness towards the sad news on Tuesday, said they are currently in the process of creating a college fund for Rivera’s four-year-old son, Josey.
The statement by the creators of Glee came after the announcement by the Ventura County medical examiner which reported that Naya Rivera’s death was accidental drowning and that there was no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in her death and no traumatic injuries or other medical conditions.
Rivera’s body was recovered near the surface of the water, in an area where the boat was found, that was 35 to 60 feet deep (11-18 m) and with heavy brush and trees underwater, officials said.
Rivera’s 4-year-old son, Josey, who was discovered alone and sleeping on the boat, told authorities he and his mother had both gone swimming in the lake, a recreational reservoir about 50 miles (80 km) north of downtown Los Angeles.
Glee creators reacting to the news, put out this statement
“Rivera had gone to Lake Piru with Josey on the day she disappeared. The child was found alone on a boat Rivera had rented. He told investigators his mother had put him back on the boat before he saw her disappear beneath the water.
Authorities immediately began a search operation to find Rivera, with her body being recovered five days later.
We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend Naya Rivera.
Naya wasn’t a series regular when we cast her on Glee. She didn’t have more than a few lines in the pilot. But it didn’t take more than an episode or two for us to realize that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with.
Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!) She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease. She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.
Naya is responsible for numerous iconic Glee musical performances- The Adele Mash Up, Valerie, Songbird- but her greatest Glee legacy is probably the humor and humanity that she brought to Santana’s relationship with her best friend and eventual girlfriend/wife Brittany (played by Heather Morris).
It was one of the first times an openly lesbian, high school relationship was seen on network television and Naya understood what “Brittana” meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time.
Naya always made sure that Santana’s love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions.
Naya was always moved by the girls who reached out to her to tell her how much Santana and Brittany’s love affected them.
Naya’s obligation to them- and to all of her fans- was obvious. She had the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent.
Naya was a real pro. Always on time, always knew her lines (which wasn’t easy considering the giant mouthfuls of dialogue we often gave her), always kept everyone laughing on the set.
She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding. She was fun. She was kind. She was generous. There were ups and downs during the wonderful and stressful years we spent making Glee.
We disagreed, we fought, we made up, then we fought some more, than we made up again. The kinds of things that happen in a family. Naya was more than just an actor on our show- she was our friend.
Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey.
The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.
-Ryan, Ian and Brad,” the statement said.