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Demi Lovato Reminisces on Playing Naya Rivera’s Girlfriend on ‘Glee’: 'I’ll Forever Cherish the Opportunity'

By Zach Seemayer‍ 7:00 PM PDT, July 13, 2020

Rick Kern, Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images

Demi Lovato is paying tribute to Naya Rivera. The "I Love Me" singer took to Instagram on Monday to share her memories of the late actress.

"RIP Naya Rivera. I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee," Lovato wrote, alongside a slideshow of photos from their time together on the Fox dramedy. "The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted queer girls (like me at the time) and open queer girls, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world."

Lovato was a recurring guest star during the fifth season of Glee, in which she played Dani, who has a short-lived romantic relationship with Rivera's Santana Lopez.

"My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time.. ❤️" Lovato concluded.

Rivera was pronounced dead on Monday, at the age of 33, as her body was discovered after a five-day search.

She was reported missing last Wednesday after she took a boat ride with her 4-year-old son, Josey, in Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California.

Following her disappearance and death, friends, family and former co-stars have been paying tribute with heartfelt memorials, remembering Rivera's life and legacy. See the video below for more on the outpouring of condolences.