Glee actress Naya Rivera has been confirmed dead after the star went missing from a lake in Southern California.
At an official press conference on July 13, five days after Rivera disappeared from Lake Piru, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub revealed that based on the location of the body they recovered in the lake earlier that morning, physical characteristics and clothing, they are "confident" that it is Naya.
The sheriff says that Rivera was found in the north eastern portion of the lake where there is heavy brush and trees, and that she is now being taken to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
As per reports, Rivera, 33, went missing from Lake Piru in Ventura County on Wednesday evening (July 8). Authorities found her body on July 13th after the Ventura County Sherriff's Office resumed search efforts "at first light" on Thursday. She was 33. As the story goes, Rivera rented a boat with her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis. Sheriff's Capt. Eric Buschow said that they were both seen going out on the lake together, but their boat was discovered drifting with the child sleeping onboard, as well as an adult life vest, about three hours after they left the dock.
Zack Teperman, a former publicist for the star, said he was shocked by the news of her disappearance. "I still can't believe what I'm hearing and hoping it isn't true," he posted on social media. "I'm just sad. Naya Rivera was one of the first people I had the honor of working with back in 2009 when I got into public relations and moved to Hollywood. One of the first people to allow me to give her advice and guide her through those crazy Glee days."
Rivera is most known for her six-year role as Santana Lopez on the Fox series. She also starred in CBS' The Royal Family, as well as the comedy The Master of Disguise. After her time on the Glee, Rivera found herself in some unfortunate press after after turbulent romances with Big Sean and actor Ryan Dorsey. While she was engaged to the former, she ended up marrying Dorsey in 2014. He is the father to Hollis. The pair filed for divorce after two years of marriage. In 2016, she published a memoir titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.
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