[96] The single, from the album In2ition, spent two weeks on the charts, reaching number 16 on the iTunes Top 100 Classical chart in the week of July 13 to July 19, 2020,[314] and dropping to number 81 the week after. Naya Rivera on Family Matters - episode 'Just One Date'Originally airing 11/13/92. [57] She also auditioned for an unspecified season of American Idol during the San Francisco auditions, but was cut in the first round. [186][190] Between 2008 and 2010, Rivera dated Glee co-star Mark Salling. Rivera spoke about the development of this aspect of her character, saying that it was first thought up by the writers as a "funny little thing" for a quick punchline; the actress pushed for the sexuality and relationship to be taken seriously. [126] Rivera subsequently worked on a project with Guillermo Díaz, directing a short film PSA about the effect of immigration on children and their parents. She makes her first appearance in Just One Date when she and her mother introduce themselves to Harriette and Richie. [20] The family owned a boat and often went boating when Rivera was a child,[32] which she enjoyed though she did not like to get her hair wet, adding that they had a scary experience on one occasion when their anchor got stuck and her father injured himself on the propeller trying to free the boat. Laura and Ted agree to end their relationship. ", "How Did 'Glee' Write Naya Rivera's Santana Out Of The Season 5 Finale? [182] Piccoli and other journalists stated that later examples of representation, like Elena Alvarez in One Day at a Time and characters in Vida, are attributable to Rivera's role,[182][163] and the executive editor of them., Whembley Sewell, said when interviewed on the subject by NPR that "what [LGBTQ people of color] are going to create and put out into the world because [Rivera] gave us what she did is going to be so, so incredible". A bold, well-rounded, hilarious woman of colour who was openly and unapologetically gay". [161], With her diverse acting roles, Rivera is seen as having been one of the earliest, most prominent, and most profound examples of both Afro-Latino representation and queer Latinx (as Santana in Glee) representation on prime time television. [262] On July 13, it was announced that a body had been found by divers in Lake Piru when the search resumed in the morning;[251][263][264] the body was confirmed to be Rivera's at a press conference held later that day. [204] In 2017, Big Sean released another diss track about Rivera, "No More Interviews", which In Touch Weekly said "really takes aim at Naya's neck". Directed by John Tracy. [70] Despite this, Rivera was not nominated for an Emmy in 2012, nor in her lifetime, with the media generally considering this a snub;[90] The Daily Beast argued that she and other actors were overlooked because of their characters being young,[91] while in 2020 criticism was leveled at the Television Academy for years of Latin under-representation at the Emmys. [239][240], A lifelong Democrat,[55] Rivera performed with the cast of Glee at the White House during the first Obama administration,[241] as well as with Amber Riley and Darren Criss at his second inauguration. Díaz's part of the project focuses on telling the stories of young DREAMers and the fear they have of their mothers being deported, and Rivera's part explores the culture of immigrants in the United States. [89] She was chosen by the Television Academy to host the "Countdown to the Emmys" video for the upcoming awards ceremony, a video introduction to each year's ceremony that is watched by an estimated 25 million people. [102] In the summer of 2013, Complex described her as "the biggest star on the [show]" with her own "cult-like fan base". "[53] Her publicist from her time on Glee described Rivera as "ahead of her time" in terms of being an advocate, saying that she "really wanted to use her platform and her voice for good, whether it was for anti-bullying, for equal rights, for women of color, she wanted to use this role to help talk about a bigger message". Estefan said that she studied Rivera's performance as inspiration for her own character, explaining: "I already knew [Santana] was very sarcastic, but [she] also has a heart, [...] So her mother had to be tough as nails, but with that little sarcastic edge", while also being supportive. All the things Latinx women often don't get to be in prime-time television [...] Naya shattered the tropes and gifted the audience with a complex, queer, Black Puerto Rican woman. Big Sean) – Single by Naya Rivera", "Naya Rivera Dishes On Recording 'Sorry' Single With Big Sean", "Naya Rivera Gets Her Flirt On in M&M's Super Bowl Commercial! We lost them in 2020", "Don't Forget Me, I Beg: Naya Rivera's Remarkable Legacy", "Sexuality and Teen Television: Emerging Adults Respond to Representations of Queer Identity on Glee", "Erika Abad, Ph.D. | People | University of Nevada, Las Vegas", "Latinx Spaces | Redefining Latinx Media – Revisiting Naya Rivera's Santana Lopez: The Afro-Latina who Deserved More Time", "Naya Rivera Made People Feel Seen For the First Time. [271] Rivera's ex-husband Dorsey made no public statement until after Rivera's funeral, when he posted on Instagram to say that he was still finding her death hard to believe, but that having their son makes coping easier;[272] her boyfriend Jones had made an Instagram post on the day her body was found, expressing his grief while focusing on Rivera's love for her son. [242] She campaigned with Everyone Votes and Rock the Vote in 2016 to promote voter participation[243] and took part in a Funny or Die celebrity campaign song ("Holy Shit (You've Got to Vote)") that supported Hillary Clinton. [198] In her memoir, Rivera wrote that she found out their relationship was over "at the same time as the rest of the world" when Big Sean published the news on the internet. The family will … She acts like them even less". [108], Rivera's debut single "Sorry", featuring rapper Big Sean, was released as a digital download on September 17, 2013. Meet the NYC indie rockers who wrote it, and hear their original", "The AfterEllen.com 2010 Visibility Awards – Winners", "The 2nd Annual Gay People's Choice Awards Winners", "The 1st Annual Lesbian/Bi People's Choice Awards Winners", "Kids' Choice Awards 2010 nominees announced", "Factbox: List of winners at Screen Actors Guild Awards", "Teen Choice Awards 2010: First Round Of Nominees Announced", "TV Land Awards: 'Glee' honored as future classic on nostalgic night", "17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nomination Announcement", "Teen Choice Awards 2011 Nominees Announced: Harry Potter vs Twilight", "Naya Rivera Picks Up 'Cause You're Hot' Award", "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2012: Full list of nominees", "Naya Rivera al Giffoni Film Festival 2013", "SAG award nominations: Cable dramas and network sitcoms dominate", "People's Choice Awards 2014: The winners", "Second Wave of Nominations for 'Teen Choice 2014' Announced", "ReFrame Gives 62 TV Shows Its Gender-Balance Seal Of Approval; Group's First Small-Screen Stamps", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Naya_Rivera&oldid=1013012825, American actresses of Puerto Rican descent, American musicians of Puerto Rican descent, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Hispanic and Latino American people in television, LGBT rights activists from the United States, People from Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Episode: "It's My Party, I'll Cry If I Want To", Episodes: "Baby, It's You and You and You", Guest judge; episode: "Good Morning Bitches", Episode: "Naya Rivera Meets Mr. 1994). Meanwhile, Richie tries to fight off Gwendolynwho wants him to be her "Daddy Mac"! [19] The show received positive reviews and high ratings initially, but it was canceled soon after star Redd Foxx suffered a sudden heart attack on set,[43] which Rivera witnessed. Gwendolyn Youmans Walters, 83, of Charleston, South Carolina, wife of Pete Walters entered into eternal rest Saturday, July 14, 2018. E-40) – Single by Big Sean", "Big Sean Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs", "Big Sean Disses Naya Rivera in New Song, Accuses His Ex of Having Multiple Plastic Surgeries! [55] As 2011 ended, she or her character were on many "Best Of" lists, including HitFix's 25 Breakout Stars of 2011,[77] TV Guide's Best Performances of 2011,[78] and MTV's Best TV Characters of 2011[79] – in 2020, Santana appeared on the Thrillist list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters of the 21st Century, ranking at number 85 and the only Glee character included. ", "PEOPLE en Espanol Names The 50 Most Beautiful Hispanic Celebrities", "FHM's 100 Sexiest Women In The World 2012: The full list! Between 1989 and 1993, Jaimee Foxworth appeared on the sitcom Family Matters as tween Judy Winslow. She makes her first appearance in Just One Date when she and her mother introduce themselves to Harriette and Richie. [235] In October 2012, along with other members of the Glee cast, Rivera took part in "The Biggest Show", a performance of young writers' scripts for the literacy non-profit Young Storytellers. event, where she performed a cover of the song "Silent Night",[223] and for Pride Month in 2017 she was invited to write for Billboard, composing "Love Letter to the LGBTQ Community", thanking fans for embracing her character and reiterating her active support for the community. [220] Prominent politicians and performers from across music, television, film, and theatre, also shared messages in her memory. [42] The series moved to Starz in May 2020, and Rivera was announced to be continuing her role; at the time, the third season was in production, but no timetable for its release was given. In the episode, Rivera recounted her childhood career as an actress and a model, as well as the lean times that came between the age of 16 and 21, leading up to her big break when cast on Glee. A Tradition Of Excellence. [66] She was given her first solo in the fifth episode of season two, "The Rocky Horror Glee Show", and performed several others as the season progressed. During the second season, Rivera's role in the show was radically changed when it was revealed that her character was a lesbian. Rivera portrayed Santana struggling to come to terms with her sexuality, with her love for her best friend, and with her inability to come out of the closet. [210] In late November 2017, Rivera was arrested and charged in Kanawha County, West Virginia, with misdemeanor domestic battery against Dorsey after she allegedly hit him in the head during an altercation over their child;[211] she was released and picked up from the courthouse by her father-in-law. [55] In the episode, Rosie O'Donnell remarked on a study showing that bisexual women were more likely to have mental health problems than lesbians, to which Rivera replied: "Rosie, no wonder I'm crazy. [192] In her memoir, Rivera revealed that she had an abortion in 2010, shortly after splitting from Dorsey, due to the fact that her career was taking off with the success of Glee;[193] she did not tell Dorsey about the abortion until they got back together in 2014,[41] and said that he was supportive and respectful when she did. She appears in Heart Strings when she asks Steve about how she can get Richie to be her valentine. [9] Rivera was raised in Valencia and lived in or around Los Angeles for most of her life. Rivera was first nominated for an award at the age of 5, in 1992, but did not win one until 2010, eighteen years later. ", "EXCLUSIVE: Naya Rivera Talks New Show 'Step Up: High Water, "National Sister Day 2017: Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Siblings", "Naya Rivera Talks Invisible Skirt, Says Her Style Is 'Sexy' But Classy", "EXCLUSIVE: Naya Rivera Talks 'Mad Families,' Raising Her Son Josey and Growing Up in a Crazy Family", "Naya Rivera Visited Lake Piru 'for Years' Before Disappearance: It May Have Been a 'Sanctuary for Her, "Naya Rivera Boated Before on Lake Where Police Believe She Drowned", "EXCLUSIVE: We Chat with GLEE's Naya Rivera", "The 13 Biggest Reveals From Naya Rivera's New Book", "Inside Naya Rivera's Incredibly Full Life and the Legacy She Leaves Behind", "Naya Rivera Makes Shocking Confessions in New Memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry, "Why Naya Rivera Says Working on Step Up: High Water Reminds Her of Glee", "ABC Mourning Star of Series That Was Key To Its Lineup", "Naya Rivera's best moments: From 'Glee' to 29-year career highlights", "Naya Rivera: We take a look at The Glee star's career highlights", "Naya Rivera Memorable Roles: From 'Glee' to 'Family Matters' (Photos)", "Glee Rivera entered pole-dancing contest", "Naya Rivera Opened Doors for Many Latinas Like Me", "Obituary: Naya Rivera, child star who later found fame with ground-breaking role in US TV hit, Glee", "Al B. [38] Rivera attended Valencia High School in Santa Clarita and graduated in 2005. Williams costarred in the ABC sitcom What About Joan opposite Joan Cusack and Kyle Chandler and was a guest host on Clean House after Family Matters.Williams now … It’s been over 30 years since the ABC sitcom “Family Matters” first aired. [222] In December 2012 she attended the annual Trevor Live! But that also meant cutting other stars out when needed. The two had a rocky relationship and ultimately split at the request of Salling's publicist; she later said that Salling breaking up with her felt like "the worst thing ever" at the time. Naya Marie Rivera was born in Valencia, California, on January 12, 1987. [177], Rivera notably supported various charities, particularly for the LGBT+ community and immigrants. She then had a guest appearance on The Bernie Mac Show in 2002, before returning to the show for ten episodes throughout its five-season run. [76] She received a great amount of critical praise for both her acting and her singing performances in the latter part of season two and the beginning of season three of Glee. [180], – Steven Canals for Entertainment Weekly, 2020[181], Queer media journalist Dana Piccoli wrote a tribute feature on the actress's legacy for NBC, saying: "I don't use the word "legacy" lightly. "[12] The film was released through video on demand on August 8, 2014, and theatrically released on September 12, 2014. Her Legacy Will Not Be Forgotten", "Queer People Are Shouting Their Gratitude For Naya Rivera's Trailblazing Character Santana Lopez", "Naya Rivera: How "Glee" Helped Femme Lesbians Feel Seen", "Why Naya Rivera on Glee was important to LGBT women", "Late Greats: Tributes to stars we lost in 2020", "Naya Rivera's performance on "Glee" changed lives — and queer TV history", "Remembering Naya Rivera's Legacy For LGBT People Of Color", "Announcing the Winners of the Third Annual Autostraddle Gay Emmys! She began her career as a child actress and model, appearing in national television commercials before landing the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family (1991–1992) at the age of four and earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at five. [92], Rivera remained in a principal role on Glee in its fourth and fifth seasons from 2012 to 2014. Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten, Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, List of television actors who died during production, "Glee star Naya Rivera died of accidental drowning", "Naya Rivera Laid to Rest 2 Weeks After Drowning as Death Certificate Reveals She Died Within Minutes", "Naya Rivera: Wrongful death lawsuit filed over Glee star's drowning", "Naya Rivera Laid to Rest at Hollywood Cemetery After Her Drowning Death", "Naya Rivera marries actor Ryan Dorsey in surprise wedding", "Meet Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera of Glee", "Naya Rivera says being racially 'other' has affected her life, career from early age", "Naya Rivera: Stakes Is High (2013 Cover Story)", "In Celebration Of Naya Rivera, Glee's Queer Afro-Latinx TV Icon", "Naya Rivera remembered as inspirational Latina who redefined Afro-Latinx representation", "Yolanda Rivera: Who Is Naya Rivera's Mother? 2012–2014: Musical solo debut and film debut. [20] Watching Foxx die in front of her at a young age affected her for the rest of her life, with a colleague from her final role saying that after the incident, for Rivera, season finales "were devastating [and] could represent the end of her life as she knew it". [51][273][274][275][276] A memorial to Rivera was constructed under the Lake Piru sign in the days after her death. [230][229] In 2009 she said: "I feel like [...] participating in charity events or giving back to the community [...] is really important to do because I feel like I am so blessed with my job and my life right now that I would love to take time to bowl for a cause. Get on or get off. [183] Steven Canals – a co-creator of the 2018 show Pose, which is set in queer African-American and Latinx culture – wrote that he will "never be able to articulate the importance of seeing Naya [Rivera], a Black Puerto Rican, portraying a queer Afro-Latina on prime-time TV" at the time. [46][47][44][48][49] Growing up mixed-race in the entertainment industry, she found that her ethnicity could both help and stifle her opportunities: sometimes she found that she could not be typecast by casting directors because she "wasn't Black enough, or Latina enough" and struggled to get roles as either ethnicity,[50] but has also said that she "could play a lot of different ethnicities, from just plain old dark-skinned white girl, to Latino, to African-American", broadening the roles she could audition for. The film has been described by its director, Nicholas McCarthy, as "a unique kind of genre film I think, almost like a Rubik's Cube of a horror movie". [96][97] At a point in the early production of the 2012 movie adaptation of The Hunger Games, Rivera had been considered for the role of Katniss Everdeen, a part she did not get,[98] and was later a favorite to be cast as Johanna Mason in the sequel Catching Fire, a role she said she "would love to play". Besides performing, Rivera championed various charitable causes, particularly for LGBT rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, Rivera got her breakthrough role in 2009 as lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee (2009–2015). Darius McCrary. [36][53] She also recorded music as a teenager, with her father sneaking her into his workplace,[12] and worked with Al B. Rivera had been visiting the lake for years, and was considered a strong swimmer. [53] Rivera described her character Santana as "a bit of a bad girl"[61] and "your typical high school cheerleader, for the most part",[53] saying that she enjoyed playing Santana because she "always has these really witty one-liners she throws out there". [14][15] Her parents are Yolanda Previtire (née White), a real estate agent and former model,[16][17] and George Rivera,[18] who worked various IT jobs, including positions at Disney and the Universal Music Publishing Group. Sure! Directed by Gary Menteer. [66] In 2013, Santana's second season coming-out scene was described as "one of the hallmarks of the entire series". Rivera's acting, however, received praise. He was the star, basically, after all. [33][136] In 2018, she auditioned for the role of Anita in the 2021 remake of West Side Story with the song "America", a song and role that she had performed on Glee. The Carlberg Law Firm was established by Gwendolyn Jo M. Carlberg in 1970. [93] While working on the later seasons of Glee, Rivera undertook other projects. [20] Her maternal grandmother was Clara White (formerly Weaver), an abortion counselor and figure in the civil rights movement who was involved in the March on Washington, Selma to Montgomery marches, and 1968 Chicago riots,[21][22][23] and who organized protests with[24] and was represented by activist and lawyer Lloyd Barbee. In May 2011, it was announced that she had signed a deal with Columbia Records to produce a solo album;[94] she said she had "been waiting for this day ever since [she] was a little girl" and that "it's always been [her] dream to release [her] own music". [159] In 2013, Complex described her as "the rarest of Hollywood types: a young starlet who's genuinely down-to-earth. After this she was consistently nominated for – and won – awards for acting, singing, and her public image, including various audience awards. [137], Rivera was announced as part of the cast for the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water in 2017, taking the leading role of school administrator and dance instructor Collette Jones, alongside Ne-Yo and Faizon Love. On July 8, 2020, Rivera drowned at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California, while swimming with her four-year-old son Josey, who was found alone on their rented boat. Naya Rivera)", "United States iTunes Top 100 Classical Songs", "Step Up: High Water, Season 2 (Original Soundtrack) by Step Up: High Water", "Naya Rivera Mourned by 'Step Up: High Water' Co-Star Ne-Yo", "Sorry by Naya Rivera and Big Sean – Music Charts", "Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo", "Rock On The Net: 54th Annual Grammy Awards - 2012", "Drake Tops 'Glee' Cast For Most Entries On Hot 100 Chart", "21 of the most iconic female music collaborations of all time, ranked", "Glee Cast | full Official Chart History", "16 Of Santana Lopez's Best Performances On "Glee, "Remembering Naya Rivera's Standout Glee Performances", Recording Industry Association of America, "Gwyneth Paltrow Remembers Her Time On "Glee" With Naya Rivera", "Naya Rivera Performing "Landslide" Was 'Glee' at Its Best", "Loved last night's cover of 'We Are Young' on 'Glee'? [162] Multiple scholarly works were written during Rivera's lifetime focusing on the important changes that, particularly, her portrayal of Santana brought to television with non-stereotypical stories in relation to race and sexuality – including a novel coming out story and relationship, Latinidad, and not being explicitly black- or white- coded – as well as being a minority involved in main storylines not focused on such identities. Rivera was officially pronounced dead on July 13, 2020, after her body was recovered. [1] Rivera was interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Hollywood, a cemetery known for its many entertainment industry burials, following a private service on July 24, 2020. [142] After Rivera's death, Deadline reported that the third season would be rewritten, but "not right away" as the cast and crew took time away to process the loss. [283] Amber Riley, under her stage name RILEY, performed a tribute to Rivera on the August 27, 2020 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. [212] She subsequently refiled for divorce in December 2017,[213] and in January 2018 the domestic battery charge was dismissed at the request of Dorsey, who "notified both the prosecution and the defense counsel that he was no longer seeking prosecution and has confirmed he was never at any time injured by the conduct of Ms. heads to stages across the Atlantic this spring", "Supermassive Black Hole (feat. [14][15][50][66][163][164] Rivera has been described as a gay icon[12][62][165][166] and "a true icon for all black and brown girls". I'm Hispanic and black; you can't say that". ", "You ever have something inside of you immediately set at peace? View the profiles of professionals named "Gwendolyn Coleman" on LinkedIn. [59], In 2009, Rivera was cast as Santana Lopez, a high school cheerleader, on Fox's musical comedy series Glee, about a high school glee club. She remained close with Tahj and his family, particularly his sisters, Tia and Tamera Mowry, for many years, including helping the sisters find an apartment when they got kicked out of their house[186][187][188][189] and appearing on Tia Mowry at Home in 2017. [55][221] Esquire wrote after her death that "Rivera never disclosed her real-life sexuality". I think ["Sorry"] is a summer song, and I want it on the radio by the end of the summer". [197] While they were together, Big Sean rapped about her in his featured part on the track "All Me" by Drake. Steal Yo' Girl", Guest judge; episode: "Birds of a Feather". Just as Richie is trying to deal with pushy 5-year-old vixen Gwendolyn, a determined Urkel pulls his biggest stunt yet in trying to get Laura to go out with him - by sitting on the roof of the Winslows' house and not coming down until she says yes.