"Heartbroken" Glee creators launch college fund for Naya Rivera's son

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 2d

The creators of Glee issue a statement following Naya Rivera's death and make a pledge to look after her son.

The three creators of Glee have issued a joint statement following the tragic death of Naya Rivera last week.

The 33-year-old actress, who played Santana Lopez on the musical drama, drowned in Lake Piru last week in what is thought to have been a tragic accident.

Police believe that Rivera's final act was to hoist her four-year-old son Josey onto the safety of their boat before she was pulled beneath the water, and in their statement, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan said that they would ensure that he is looked after.

"We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend Naya Rivera," they said. "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."

They continued: "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, then 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."

Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Rivera's death has been ruled as accidental drowning.