Who is Naya Rivera?

    From kid actress to award-winning Glee performer and a doting mom.

    Growing up in Los Angeles, Rivera began her career on television at the age of 4, as Hillary Winston in the US sitcom, The Royal Family. Eventually, she made guest appearances on shows like Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

In 2009, she was well known for her role as Santana Lopez in the hit show, Glee, which was nominated for 32 Emmys and 9 Golden Globes and she starred in it till 2015. 

    Two years after the end of Glee, she jump started her career in music by releasing debut single called 'Sorry', with the ex-fiance, Big Sean. In 2014, they split but her fiance showed support when he got the news that she went missing. 

    Rivera then married actor Ryan Dorsey and welcomed their son, Josey Dorsey in September 2015. Two years later, they divorced. Over the years, she recorded many sweet memories with her son, from birthday and holidays to quiet, intimate moments. 

    While raising her son, she maintained her career as an actress. Her last project was Step Up: High Water, which started on Youtube. 

  

  Naya appears on Family Matters' Feb. 12, 1993 episode alongside star Jaleel White in one of her
early acting jobs.


     

        

                Rivera became a household name when she got her big break starring as cheerleader 
                      Santana on the award-winning Fox series Glee, which premiered in 2009.

    
                 The young star arrives to the American Idol Top 12 Party in a colorful mini dress.

               The Glee cast poses backstage at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards after winning
                                                       Best TV Comedy Ensemble.

   

            The mother-son duo are all smiles at The Lego Movie 2 premiere in L.A. in 2019.

With the tragic news, Rivera's fans, friends and former Glee co-stars—from Heather Morris to Demi Lovato—sent prayers and messages of hope.