‘Glee’ Creators Are Setting Up a College Fund for Naya Rivera’s Son
As her friends, family, and fans around the world mourn the loss of Naya Rivera, the creators of Glee have announced a special way to ensure that her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, will have a bit of financial security as he gets older. One day after she was pronounced dead in an accidental drowning, Glee producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan released a joint statement that paid tribute to Rivera, and they announced they’re setting up a college fund for 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 wrote.
The trio wrote that they are “heartbroken” over the loss of Rivera, opening up about how they “lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars [they] would ever have the pleasure of working with” when they cast Rivera.
They shared that her character, Santana, originally wasn’t slated to be a series regular, but that it was clear after only a couple of episodes, that she was too talented and “special” not to be.
“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,” the statement reads. “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,” Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennan wrote.
Aside from calling out some of her most iconic Glee performances, the creators praised her portrayal of an openly lesbian character in a relationship with Brittany (played by Heather Morris), adding that Rivera understood what it “meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time.”
“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.
The creators then wrote more about Rivera herself, calling her “a real pro” and opening up about her presence on the Glee set.
“She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding. She was fun. She was kind. She was generous,” they wrote, “There were ups and downs during the wonderful and stressful years we spent making Glee. We disagreed, we fought, we made up, then we fought some more, and then we made up again. The kinds of things that happen in a family. Naya was more than just an actor on our show—she was our friend.”
— 20th Television (@20thTelevision) July 14, 2020
The letter concluded by sending their love to Rivera’s family. “Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family, and her son Josey.”
