Body found in search for Glee star Naya Rivera belongs to actress, local police say
13 July 2020, 17:49
The body found in the search for Glee star Naya Rivera who disappeared last week belongs to the actress, local police have confirmed.
The Sheriff's Office in Ventura County, California confirmed a body had been found on Monday at the lake where the 33-year-old went missing.
She disappeared on Wednesday at a lake in Southern California where she had been with her four-year-old son.
A search operation was launched after the boy was reportedly found alone on a rented boat at Lake Piru.
According to local reports quoting the sheriff's department, Nivera rented a boat at Lake Piru at about 1pm local time.
The alarm was raised and a search operation launched using helicopters, drones and dive teams, police said.
However, less than 24 hours later the police said Rivera was presumed dead.
Police release CCTV of missing Glee star Naya Rivera
Recovery of the body is in progress and a news conference will take place later.
It is believed she drowned at Lake Piru, a popular spot for swimmers about 56 miles north-west of central Los Angeles, after her son, Josey Hollis - who was found asleep and wearing a life jacket on the boat, with his mother nowhere to be seen - told police he had seen her disappear beneath the surface.
Rivera is best known for playing Santana Lopez on musical comedy series Glee.
She earned significant success starring as the high school cheerleader and the California-born star followed it up with her feature film debut in 2014 horror film At The Devil's Door.
Police search for missing Glee star Naya Rivera
She later had a role in the Lifetime TV series Devious Maids.
Rivera was engaged to the rapper Big Sean in October 2013 but they ended their relationship in April 2014.
She then began dating actor Ryan Dorsey and they got married in Mexico in July that year.
The couple welcomed their first child, Josey Hollis, in September 2015. Rivera filed for a divorce after two years of marriage but later called off the separation.
The couple finalised their divorce in June 2018.
