Naya Rivera Dead at 33, Sheriff Says No Sign of Foul Play
Naya Rivera Dead at 33 ... Sheriff Says No Sign of Foul Play or Suicide
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2:26 PM PT -- Sheriff Bill Ayub says they’re confident the body discovered in Lake Piru today is Naya Rivera, and there’s nothing to indicate any foul play took place or she died by suicide ... this was simply a tragic accidental drowning death.
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Ayub says Rivera was discovered in the northeast portion of the lake, near the surface of the water. Her body will be taken to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy and positive identification.
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The sheriff says investigators used FaceTime calls Naya had with family members to help focus their search, along with speaking to other people who rented boats the day she went missing and saw her on the water.
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Ayub says based on a conversation with Naya’s son, the 2 went for a swim, and she was able to boost him back on the boat ... but when he turned around she disappeared below the surface.
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The current was apparently very strong the day Naya went missing and Ayub says it may have contributed to her drowning. He says her boat was not anchored when she went for a swim with her son.
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Naya's family was taken to her in a boat after her body was discovered.
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1:40 PM PT -- The Ventura County Sheriff's Department is set to hold a press conference at 2 PM PT about the recovery of Naya's body. It's unclear if any friends or family will speak ... but TMZ will be live streaming.
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1:11 PM PT -- A powerful moment just occurred at Lake Piru, where Naya's body was found Monday morning -- fellow costars of hers from "Glee" stood shoulder to shoulder with members of Naya's family ... holding hands and looking out at the water.
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There's also this eerie fact -- Cory Monteith, who was a lead on the show in its heyday, died 7 years ago on the same day Naya's body was discovered ... July 13. He was killed in 2013 by a deadly cocktail of intoxicants, including heroin and alcohol.
Naya Rivera's body has been recovered from Lake Piru ... TMZ has learned.
Ventura County officials said Monday that a body had been found at the lake, and our law enforcement sources have confirmed it is, in fact, her. A press conference sharing the news publicly is forthcoming.
As we reported ... Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, were swimming in Lake Piru when something terrible happened Wednesday. Josey got back in the boat and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her.
Naya made a name for herself as a child actress and model, who appeared in various national TV commercials. She landed the role of Hillary Winston on "The Royal Family" at just 4 years old. She received a nomination for a Young Artist Award.
Naya's big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Santana Lopez on the FOX hit series, "Glee." She was a talented singer ... signing with Columbia Records in 2011. That same year ... she was part of the "Glee" ensemble nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'."
In 2013, she released a single, "Sorry," featuring Big Sean, whom she dated and was briefly engaged to in 2013, before ending the relationship in 2014.
Naya later dated Josey's father, actor Ryan Dorsey, marrying him in Cabo San Lucas in July 2014. They divorced in 2018 and had been sharing custody of Josey.
She was also no stranger to the big screen ... making her debut in 2014 in the horror film "At the Devil's Door." She also appeared on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."
Last time we saw her was in October 2018 at LAX, ... where we talked to her about doing her own lobbying for a part in Steven Spielberg's flick, "West Side Story."
October 2018
Naya is survived by her son. She was 33.
RIP
Originally Published -- 9:53 AM PT
