'Glee' Creators Launch a College Fund for Naya Rivera's Son, Josey Dorsey
Glee co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan announced Tuesday in a heartfelt statement that they are starting a college fund for Naya Rivera's son, Josey Dorsey.
"She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around," they said in a statement released by 20th Century Fox.
The actress was pronounced dead this week at the age of 33 after accidentally drowning in California's Lake Piru.
The original powerhouse trio behind Glee are paying tribute to their late, longtime cast member Naya Rivera.
Yesterday, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan made a joint statement via 20th Century Fox expressing their grief over the untimely death of Rivera, as well as sharing the announcement that they are creating a college fund for her four-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, in her honor. Rivera was pronounced dead on Monday after her body was recovered from Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, where she disappeared five days prior. Her cause of death has been declared an accidental drowning.
"We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend Naya Rivera," began the statement. "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."
It continued, "Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!). She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. 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."
The trio went on to praise Rivera's groundbreaking performance as an out and proud Latinx lesbian on the popular series, as well as compliment her humility and musical talent, which the world witnessed throughout the show's six seasons.
"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," they wrote.
"Naya was more than just an actor on our show—she was our friend," the three expressed. "Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey. The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all," they concluded.
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