‘Miss you every damn day’: ‘Glee’ co-stars pay tribute to Naya Rivera on her second death anniversary

On Naya Rivera's second death anniversary, her ‘Glee’ co-stars remembered the late star and paid their tribute to Rivera with heartfelt messages. Late singer and model drowned in the Lake Piru reservoir in Southern California. Taking to Instagram, Rivera’s friends remembered her, marking her tragic death anniversary. "Everyday my angel. I miss you every damn day," Heather Morris wrote by sharing some throwback snaps of the two. 

Heather Morris, 35, played the love interest of Naya’s character Santana Lopez on the Fox series ‘Glee’. Meanwhile, 34-year-old actor Kevin McHale, who played Artie in the series, shared a picture of Rivera posing for the camera with a peace sign, seated on a motorboat. He captioned the post saying, "The best there ever was forever & ever."

Both Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz, who played Mercedes and Tina on ‘Glee,’ also posted brief and moving tributes to the late star. 

The 33-year-old Rivera disappeared from a rented pontoon boat that she was on with her then-4-year-old son, Josey, on Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, on July 8, 2020. The outing was supposed to be a relaxing mother-son afternoon; however, Rivera's body was found five days later, and it was concluded that she had drowned accidentally. Recalling the terrifying accounts to the detectives, Josey described how his mother had put him on the boat but was unable to lift herself back up onto its deck. She called out for help before sinking below the water. 

A search-and-rescue diver working to recover Rivera’s body at the time speculated that strong winds over the reservoir, coupled with Rivera's not wearing a life jacket when she jumped off the pontoon, may have contributed to her death.

"What I suspect is that the winds kicked up. Those pontoon boats are very light, and when you push them, it can get away from you. She might’ve tried to swim after the boat," the diver, Robert Inglis, told US Weekly. 

Following Rivera’s death, there were several reports of drawings in Lake Piru. Eventually, swimming was permanently prohibited in the reservoir.