Cory Monteith’s mother, Ann McGregor, paid tribute to her late son’s Glee costar Naya Rivera after the actress’ body was discovered in Lake Piru on the seventh anniversary of his passing.
“For the last 7 years the 13th of July has shattered our hearts beyond repair,” a post shared by the official Instagram account for Monteith’s legacy on Tuesday, July 14, reads. “There aren’t enough words to describe the pain we are feeling, we are truly heartbroken at the loss of @nayarivera.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, July 15, that McGregor and her close friends run the account Cory’s Law, which is dedicated to keeping his “legacy of helping others” alive. (Monteith died of an accidental overdose on July 13, 2013. He was 31.)
“Naya, Cory loved you so so much,” the post reads. “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. 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. We’ll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity.”
The post concluded: “We send all our love and strength to your beautiful boy, your family, friends and fans 💔🐻💔.”
Monteith starred as Finn Hudson on Glee until his untimely death, which was addressed during season 5 of the Fox show. Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, was reported missing earlier this month after she didn’t return the pontoon boat she rented with her 4-year-old son, Josey. After days of searching, the 33-year-old actress’ body was found in the water on Monday, July 13. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed in a press release that her cause of death is drowning.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week,” Rivera’s family said in a statement on Tuesday. “While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister. Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya. We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support. Heaven gained our sassy angel.”
Several of Rivera and Monteith’s former costars, including Lea Michele, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and Amber Riley, have paid tribute to Rivera in recent days. Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan also announced their plans to create a college fund for Josey, whom Rivera shared with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey.
