Jenna Ushkowitz has joined the growing list of actors paying tribute to the late actress Naya Rivera, whose body was recovered from Lake Piru in Ventura County, California on Monday.
As the 34-year-old Glee alum mourned the mother-of-one, who also starred on Fox’s musical TV series from 2009 to 2015, Ushkowitz reflected on their shared ‘laughs, martinis and secrets’ in a heartfelt Instagram post.
‘There are no words and yet so many things I want to say, I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to articulate exactly what I feel,’ the Tony Award-winning producer began, before diving into Rivera’s legacy of ‘humor, light and loyalty.’
Memories: Jenna Ushkowitz mourned the late actress Naya Rivera, who also starred on Fox’s musical TV series from 2010 and 2015 in a heartfelt Instagram post on Monday (seen in 2013)
‘Naya, you were a force and everyone who got to be around you knew it and felt the light and joy you exuded when you walked into a room,’ she reflected. ‘You shined on stage and screen and radiated with love behind closed doors.
After praising her pal, the Broadway star shared a gut-wrenching statement: ‘I can not believe I took for granted that you’d always be here.’
While revealing their ‘friendship went in waves as life happens and we grow,’ she explained that she knows not to ‘look back and regret.’
‘I love you and promise to help the legacy of your talent, humor, light and loyalty live on,’ she said of Rivera’s life, which was cut short at just 33.
‘I love you and promise to help the legacy of your talent, humor, light and loyalty live on,’ she said of Rivera’s life, which was cut short at just 33 (pictured in 2019)
Heartfelt: The 34-year-old Glee alum joined the growing list of actors paying tribute to the late actress Naya Rivera, whose body was recovered from Lake Piru in Ventura County, California
‘There are no words and yet so many things I want to say, I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to articulate exactly what I feel,’ the Tony Award-winning producer wrote; seen in 2012
She concluded: ‘You are so loved. You deserved the world and we will make sure Josey and your family feel that everyday. I miss you already.’
Rivera disappeared from a boat on Lake Piru last week, on July 8th.
She was with her four-year-old son Josey at the time, who was found sleeping alone in the pontoon boat they had rented.
‘Naya, you were a force and everyone who got to be around you knew it and felt the light and joy you exuded when you walked into a room,’ she reflected (pictured in 2009)
A massive search was undertaken by local authorities, and on Monday morning, the actress’s family rushed to the lake along with some of Rivera’s Glee castmates, including Heather Morris.
Upon police confirming that they had recovered Naya’s body on Monday, tributes began pouring in, from other Glee castmates including Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer and Demi Lovato.
Her costar Lea Michele, who deleted her Twitter days earlier, even took to Instagram to pay tribute to Naya, along with Cory Monteith, who passed away from a drug overdose seven years ago to the day on Monday.
Naya and Cory are not the only Glee cast members to have passed – Mark Salling, who played Puck on the show, died by suicide in January of 2018 after being convicted of possession of child pornography.
Like family: Upon police confirming that they had recovered Naya’s body on Monday, tributes began pouring in, from other Glee castmates including Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer and Demi Lovato