Naya Rivera was beautifully remembered in a fan-held memorial at Lake Piru on Aug. 1 and it was a bittersweet sight to see. Photos and memorabilia of the late Glee star, who died at the age of 33 from an accidental drowning at the lake on July 8, could be seen laid across and tied to the fence that encloses the area of the water as well as notes of love and thanks and more from the people who admired her most. A large group gathered for the memorial and donned Naya shirts as they talked to each other and made speeches about her impact in their lives in a microphone.
Some of the fans were in tears as they reminisced on Naya’s role as Santana Lopez on Glee and many of them revealed that her portrayal of the character, who dated both men and women on the show, helped them to come out. One fan even reportedly admitted that watching Naya on Glee “saved her life.” Shortly after the memorial, visitors shared their experience through pics and videos on social media.
Fans organized the memorial through a Twitter page called Naya’s Army over the past few weeks and people from various states showed up to show their support and love for Naya. Before the gathering, fans started showing up to Lake Piru one by one to leave flowers and other things at the now-filled area shortly after Naya’s body was found in the lake on July 13. Some of Naya’s Glee co-stars, including Dot-Marie Jones and Iqbal Theba, also visited the site and shared videos online.
Naya’s devastating death, which happened during a boating trip with her son Josey, 4, who was found safe, was a shock to everyone, including her family, friends, co-stars, and fans. A large outpouring of tributes showed up on social media from people who both knew her and admired her over the past three weeks and they were nothing short of heart-wrenching. Naya’s Glee co-stars also showed up to Lake Piru on the morning she was found to hold hands and seemingly say prayers.
Naya was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park on July 24, according to her death certificate. The park is known for being the place where many other late celebrities have also been laid to rest, including Brittany Murphy, Carrie Fisher, and Paul Walker.