Naya Rivera has been laid to rest during a private ceremony after drowning in Lake Piru while out on a boating trip with her 4-year-old son.
According to PEOPLE, the “Glee” actress was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles last Friday (July 24). On July 8, Rivera was reported missing after boaters discovered her young son sleeping alone on the boat his mother rented. She was not on the boat with him and the adult-sized life jacket was still onboard.
A few days later, a body was recovered from the lake. It was confirmed to be Rivera’s. Authorities believe she was overpowered by a current while swimming in the water with her son. They also believe that she was able to muster enough strength to save her son and get him back on the boat.
“There are a lot of currents on the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon,” Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub shared in a press conference on July 13. “The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself,” he continued.
Big Sean took to Instagram to post a moving tribute to his ex-girlfriend, following the news that her death was confirmed.
“Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul!” he began. “Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn’t achieve that on their own.”
He continued, “I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. I’m still grieving and in shock, I can’t believe this is real. I’m praying for you and your family and I know you’re watching over them and protecting them. Rest In Peace Naya .”