Amber Riley Pays Tribute To Naya Rivera, ‘I’m So Mad The World Will Never See How High You Could Have Soared’

Actress Amber Riley paid tribute to her friend and Glee co-star, Naya Rivera, in a touching Instagram post on Thursday, July 24. Rivera passed away earlier this month through what has been deemed an accidental drowning, according to People.

Riley included four photos of her and Rivera together. In some of the snapshots the pair were performing on stage together for an episode of Glee. In others, they were participating in fundraisers, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.

In her lengthy caption, Riley made sure to keep her focus on the many happy memories that she and Rivera shared together. She praised her late friend’s talent and remarked upon how well they melded on the show as actors and performers.

“I love you #NayaRivera I’m so mad the world will never see how high you could have soared. Her brain was brilliant. She was smart and as quick as a whip. Always had me in stitches, we would be in tears laughing so hard at one another,” she wrote.

Riley went on to recall one of her favorite comical memories she has with Rivera, which took place on a tour bus in London while they were traveling as a group. In order to maintain her hair, Rivera had applied Doo Gro oil and wore a plastic cap and silk bonnet on her head to let it set. Her regimen offered plenty of amusement to her fellow castmates who were exhausted and anxious to get home and reunite with their families.

Riley expressed just how much pain that losing Rivera has caused her.

“Your presence brought so much excitement, so much passion, so much joy, and in your absence you’re STILL holding us accountable and getting us together. I’ve cried until my tear ducts have dried out, now it’s time to celebrate the fact that us mere humans got to experience walking through life with an earth angel.”

The actress concluded by asking for prayers for Rivera’s family as they process through their grief. She offered a reminder to be cautious regarding messages and comments, as it is a very sensitive time for the family.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, Rivera was declared missing after taking a boat out on Lake Piru in California with her young son, Josey. The 4-year-old was found asleep on the boat uninjured, but his mother was nowhere to be found. Her body was later later recovered. As of now, authorities do not believe there was any foul play, and her death was a tragic accident.