It's been exactly one year since Naya Rivera, most widely known from her role as Santana Lopez on Glee, accidentally drowned in a California lake after saving her 5-year-old son, Josey.
While family, friends, and fans are mourning and celebrating her life on the tragic anniversary, her mother, Yolanda Previtire, has opened up about the last time she spoke with her daughter on the day she died.
"I missed two of her FaceTime calls, and I called her back," Previtire told Good Morning America. "And we had a beautiful conversation. The sun was kissing her face and she was just beautiful."
Previtire said she took screenshots of the FaceTime call and told her daughter that the waves were "choppy" and to "call when you get off the water." Sadly, that call never came. Those photos later were used to help the police find Rivera's location.
\u201cNaya\u2019s family speaks out about their beloved Naya PART 1\u201d— Naya Rivera Team \u30df\u2606 (@Naya Rivera Team \u30df\u2606) 1625752905
If there's one thing Previtire hopes Rivera's tragic passing can remind people of, it's love. "I would like my daughter's legacy to be one that teaches people to love," she said. "Love who you are because you don't get another life."
Glee castmates, fans, and friends shared their thoughts on social media as well:
None— ElectricPanther (@ElectricPanther) 1625775131
\u201cI miss you\u201d— Kevin McHale (@Kevin McHale) 1625765593
\u201cIt\u2019s been a year since she left us. Me & my friend \u2066@dotmariejones\u2069 visited her memorial last year #Naya \u2066@NayaRivera\u2069 I miss her \ud83d\udc94\u201d— iqbal theba (@iqbal theba) 1625752467
\u201cgenuinely can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been a year since we lost naya rivera. her work on glee really changed the game for so many young queers. i hope wherever she is now is beautiful. what a fucking legend\u201d— matt (@matt) 1625755806
\u201ctw // naya , naya's passing \n-\n-\n-\n-\ni can't believe today has been one year without you. it still doesn't feel real. im so thankful for you and you mean so much to me and so many others. not a day goes by where i dont think about you and i miss you everyday. i love you so much\ud83e\udd0d\u201d— beth \u30df\u2606 | 34 (@beth \u30df\u2606 | 34) 1625733983
\u201c\u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Chris Colfer (@Chris Colfer) 1625764865
RIP.
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