Last Wednesday, July 8, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office launched a search and rescue operation across South California's Lake Piru. The authorities received reports of a child found floating alone in a rental boat. A few hours later, the officers confirmed that the missing person was indeed, "Glee" alum Naya Rivera. The boy found on the boat was her 4-year-old son.
On Monday, July 13, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub is "confident" that the body they have discovered in the northeast portion of the lake was Rivera. The body will be taken to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's office for confirmation. TMZ reported that authorities found no indications of foul play, that Naya Rivera was lost in a tragic drowning accident.
Rivera was only 33 at the time of her passing. Also, she has become the third "Glee" star to fall victim to a tragedy. The hit musical comedy-drama from Fox aired from 2009 to 2015 for six seasons. It has also seen the deaths of two of its stars before Naya Rivera.
Cory Monteith (May 11, 1982 - July 13, 2013)
Born Cory Allan Michael Monteith, this Canadian actor portrayed Finn Hudson on "Glee." In the show, he was the quarterback of the high school football team. A popular jock-type character, he finds himself loving the school's glee club, and comes to terms with the fear of being alienated.
He was found dead in his hotel room at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Canada, on July 13, 2013. Two days later, the British Columbia Coroners Service released their report. It confirmed that Monteith died from "a mixed drug toxicity" from heroin and alcohol.
Cory Monteith was cremated in Vancouver. Lea Michele, his girlfriend at the time, and show creator Ryan Murphy gathered the cast and crew of the show. Together, they celebrated the life of Cory Monteith. They also created the tribute episode, "The Quarterback," where Naya Rivera sang The Band Perry's "If I Die Young."
Rivera's body was found by authorities on July 13, 2020, Cory Monteith's seventh death anniversary.
Mark Salling (August 17, 1982 - January 30, 2018)
The next tragedy for the "Glee" family and its "gleek" fanbase came at the start of 2018. On January 30, Mark Salling was found dead near his Sunland, Los Angeles home. The cause of death was ruled as suicide by hanging. Salling was found six hours after he was reported missing.
In September 2017, Mark Salling pleaded guilty to possession of child pornotgraphy and is looking at four to seven years of jail time. He died more than a month before he was set to hear his sentence on March 7, 2018.
He was famous for playing Noah "Puck" Puckerman, Finn Hudson's best friend and teammate on the football team. Puck was among the first to know that Finn joined the glee club. He disapproves, concerned about backlash awaiting his best friend. Puck later joins the glee club himself. Mark Salling's character, Puck, was a love interest to Naya Rivera's Santana early in the series.
In the Cory Monteith tribute episode "The Quarterback," Puck was featured to have taken the loss of his friend devastating. He later finds the courage, and sings Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender" in memory of his friend and guide.
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