Glee creators start college fund for ‘talented’ friend Naya Rivera’s beloved son Josey after her tragic death
THE creators of Glee shared on Tuesday that they are starting a college fund for Naya Rivera’s son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, after her tragic death.
The late actress starred on the Fox musical dramedy as Santana Lopez from 2009 to 2015.
creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan wrote an emotional tribute about their “talented” friend , according to , that included the promise of a fund for 4-year-old .
In the statement, the entertainment execs wrote: "Naya wasn’t a series regular when we cast her on Glee. She didn’t have more than a few lines in the pilot.
“But it didn’t take more than an episode or two for us to realize that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with.
“…She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease.
“She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.”
Ryan, Brad and Ian added that “Naya understood” what her character’s onscreen lesbian relationship with Heather Morris’ Brittany “meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time.”
The continued: "Naya always made sure that Santana’s love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions.
“Naya was always moved by the girls who reached out to her to tell her how much Santana and Brittany’s love affected them.
“Naya’s obligation to them- and to all of her fans- was obvious. She had the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent."
According to the creators, Naya was very professional, knew her lines, was always on time and was fun to be around.
She was also “tough, demanding, kind and generous,” they said.
The tribute continued: “Naya was more than just an actor on our show- she was our friend.
“Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey."
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The three plan to honor Naya by “creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all."
Naya was confirmed dead on Monday after a recovery mission discovered her body in Lake Piru in California, days after she’d gone missing.
The search for the actress first began last Wednesday, after her son Josey, whom she shared with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, was found alone out in the water on a boat they'd rented.