Cory Monteith's Mom Says He "Adored" Naya Rivera in Heartfelt Tribute

Cory Monteith's mom is speaking out following the death of his former Glee co-star, Naya Rivera.

On Monday, July 13, Rivera was confirmed dead by authorities after going missing at California's Lake Piru. This confirmation came on the seventh anniversary of Monteith's death. A day after the recovery, the Ventura County Medical Examiner confirmed the identity of Rivera's body and has determined her cause of death to be drowning and the manner of death is accident.

Amid the tragic news, Monteith's mom, Ann McGregor, took to her Cory's Law Instagram—which she set up in 2015 to honor her son's legacy—to pay tribute to Rivera.

"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," McGregor wrote alongside photos of the late stars. "Naya, Cory loved you so so much. He cherished your friendship more than you will ever know."

Naya Rivera: Life in Pictures

"From the laughs you shared, to the strength you gave him when he needed it the most. Cory truly adored you," the message continued. "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."

 

Naya Rivera, Cory Monteith
Naya Rivera, Cory Monteith

"You once said Cory was like a member of your family; you will always be a part of ours," McGregor wrote. "We'll carry you in our hearts forever. We miss you. Friends reunited for eternity."

She concluded her tribute to Naya, "We send all our love and strength to your beautiful boy, your family, friends and fans."

Naya Rivera, Glee
Naya Rivera, Glee

Rivera went missing on July 8 while boating with her 4-year-old son Josey at Lake Piru. An investigation was launched to find Rivera after authorities found her son alone on a boat in the middle of the lake, which is located about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.

After Rivera was found dead at the California lake, Glee star Kevin McHale took to Twitter to write, "I'm not religious by any means, but you'd be hard-pressed to convince me that Cory didn't help find our girl today. These 2, in many ways, were the male and female versions of one another. So nice, cared deeply, were stupidly talented, the most fun, and really really good people."