Cory Monteith's Mom Posts An Emotional Tribute To Naya Rivera
“Friends reunited for eternity,” she wrote about Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera
Earlier this week, authorities recovered the body of 33-year-old Naya Rivera from Lake Piru, where they said she accidentally drowned while on a boating trip with her 4-year-old son, Josey. Rivera was missing for five days before her body was found, seven years to the day after her Glee co-star Cory Monteith died suddenly and tragically from a drug overdose in 2013.
It didn’t take long for fans and the two actors’ other co-stars to make the connection. But now, Monteith’s mother, Ann McGregor, has written and posted an absolutely heartwrenching tribute to the two stars, who she says were extremely close friends.
“For the last 7 years the 13th of July has shattered our hearts beyond repair,” McGregor wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Moteith and Rivera standing close and smashing their faces together for the picture. “There aren’t enough words to describe the pain we are feeling, we are truly heartbroken at the loss of @nayarivera.”
McGregor continued, “Naya, Cory loved you so so much. 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.”
She also talked about the incredibly close bond the two young stars shared, writing, “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.”
She finished the post with a sweet sentiment for Rivera’s family: “We send all our love and strength to your beautiful boy, your family, friends and fans.”
McGregor’s post comes just a few days after Kevin McHale, another Glee star, wrote that he was sure Monteith had something to do with the time that authorities were finally able to recover Rivera’s body.
“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,” he wrote.
Police say Rivera was swimming with her son when an afternoon current likely made their boat drift away. After swimming after it, they say she used the last of her energy to boost Josey back on board, before giving in to her exhaustion and drowning in the lake.
