Cory Monteith‘s mother, Ann McGregor, is remembering her late son’s Glee co-star Naya Rivera, after her tragic death at the age of 33, and admitting that July 13, the day that marked the 7th anniversary of Cory’s passing and the day Naya’s body was found, has ‘shattered’ her heart, in a new emotional message. The loving parent took to her social media pages for Cory’s Law, which was set up by her “to continue Cory’s legacy of helping others”, on July 14, and shared photos of Cory and Naya alongside a message that revealed how much the late actress meant to him.
“For the last 7 years the 13th of July has shattered our hearts beyond repair. There aren’t enough words to describe the pain we are feeling, we are truly heartbroken at the loss of @nayarivera,” Ann’s message began. “Naya, Cory loved you so so much. He cherished your friendship more than you will ever know.”
“From the laughs you shared, to the strength you gave him when he needed it the most,” she continued. “Cory truly adored you. He was in awe of your incredible talent, the way you gave everything you had to each performance; the slap in the auditorium was one of his favourite stories to share.”
“You once said Cory was like a member of your family; you will always be a part of ours,” she concluded. “We’ll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity.We send all our love and strength to your beautiful boy, your family, friends and fans 💔🐻💔”
Like Ann, Glee fans were devastated and stunned when Naya’s body was found at Lake Piru on the same day of Cory’s death anniversary, which was five days after she first went missing while swimming at the lake with her son Josey, 4. After investigating the incident, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department claimed they think Naya “mustered enough energy” to save her son by getting him on the boat while going under water but not enough energy to save herself. An autopsy ruled that her death was the result of an accidental drowning.
Like Naya’s passing, Cory’s death from an accidental overdose at the age of 31 in 2013 shocked family, friends, and fans, and they still pay tribute through memorable photos and words whenever July 13th comes around every year. On the morning Naya’s body was found, Glee cast members gathered at Lake Piru to hold hands and seemingly pray while looking out at the water. Kevin McHale, who played Artie on the FOX series, later took to Twitter to reveal he thought Cory had something to do with Naya’s body being recovered.