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In the aftermath of Naya Rivera's tragic death on July 8, fans are coming together to remember the star for the positive ways in which she changed the world.

Naya began working in the entertainment industry at a young age, modeling and acting in commercials as a child. She grew up in California as the oldest of three children and worked as a model for the same agency that had previously signed her mother. Her first major role on television was in a show called The Royal Family at just 4 years old. After the show's short run, she had small roles in several other popular television hits and continued to pursue a career in music. Her role as the sassy yet sensitive Santana Lopez on Glee made her a major star across the world. Naya delivered countless *iconic* performances and showed off her powerhouse voice as Santana during the show's 6 seasons. Her storyline of realizing and embracing her sexuality made her an inspiration to many young members of the LGBTQ+ community, and she immediately became a household name. Santana's witty one-liners and epic solos (seriously, remember "Valerie" and "Trouty Mouth?") were majorly popular among viewers. After Glee's wrapping in 2015, Naya worked on producing music as a solo artist and continued television and film projects. 

Naya devoted herself to several important philanthropic causes such as Stand Up to Cancer, GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and The Trevor Project (which aids in suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth). She also stayed in touch with many of her Glee castmates, and they have all posted touching tributes to Naya over the past several days. Becca Tobin, who played mean girl-turned-sweetheart Kitty in the show's later seasons, opened up about Naya's kindness and humor on set in this touching Insta post. 

 

 

 

 

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Naya was insanely talented, breathtakingly gorgeous, and one of the wittiest people I’ve ever met, but the legacy she left behind for me is her kindness. I joined the cast of Glee in the third season and as the newcomer, I was intimidated and terrified. The cast was already such a tight-knit group who had been working incredibly hard together for over three years to make it a hit show and I never expected any of them to have time for me. To my surprise, Naya, one of the most beloved by the rest of the cast (and the entire world), showed me instant warmth and kindness. She invited me to parties and gatherings and was always there to give advice. She was a superstar who had nothing to gain from being kind to the new girl, but she was and that changed this new girl’s entire experience on that show. I will forever be grateful to that beautiful human. My heart goes out to her family and her sweet boy. ❤️

A post shared by Becca Tobin (@becca) on Jul 13, 2020 at 3:32pm PDT

Heather Morris has also been very active on Twitter and Insta since the announcement of Naya's disappearance and eventual death. She played Brittany Pierce, the dancing superstar of New Directions who also happened to be Santana's best friend and love interest throughout the show. During the search for Naya, Heather worked directly with the Sheriff Department and kept her Twitter followers updated as well as posting a simple yet heartfelt video with the caption #bringnayahome. 

 

 

 

 

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#bringnayahome

A post shared by Heather Morris (@heatherrelizabethh) on Jul 10, 2020 at 8:01am PDT

Both Naya and her Glee character had huge impacts on popular culture, and those who loved her will remember her as among the most talented performers in her generation.  

by Lexi Casazza | 7/14/2020