The term ‘Glee’ refers to great delight, but the cast of the upbeat musical series is left with little of it. With the recent demise of Naya Rivera, one can’t help but wonder if ‘The Glee Curse’ actually lures upon the cast of what was one of the most influential shows on television.
Glee Star Naya Rivera was known for her role as Santana Lopez, the cheerleader with the voice of an angel. She brought life and light to the character. And now she is gone.
Five days after she was declared missing, Rivera’s body was recovered from Lake Piru, California; as Ventura Sheriff’s Department confirmed. The news of this tragic boat accident has left fans and cast members devastated.
Rivera, along with 4-year-old her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, rented a motorised pontoon boat for three hours on Wednesday, July 8. When mother-son duo had not returned around 4 p.m local time, a boat rental employee notified the authorities immediately.
Her little boy, unharmed and asleep, was drifting away alone. He had his life jacket on, while an adult-size life jacket was on the boat beside him. This suggested that she might have drowned while helping her son get on the boat. According to 4-year-old Josey, they went swimming but she didn’t resurface or return back.
“He gave enough information to investigators to conclude that his mother never made it out of the water” says Sgt. Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Officer.
“She must have mustered enough energy to get her son back on the boat, but not enough to save herself”, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a news conference.
The news comes among a string of heartbreaks and tragedies surrounding the musical series. Rivera’s unexpected demise follows the loss of former Glee stars Cory Monteith and Mark Salling both of whom died in unexpected circumstances.
In July 2013, Monteith, best known for his character Finn Hudson died of mixed drug toxicity at the age of 31. He was found dead in a hotel room in Vancouver, British Columbia. This came as a shocking kick in the gut to his family, friends and fans. Monteith, though successful seemed to have fought his demons behind the camera. The third episode of Glee’s fifth season, titled “The Quarterback” paid tribute to his character and bid him farewell.
Naya Rivera’s body was discovered on the anniversary of Monteith’s death, to the shock of many devastated fans and cast members.
In January 2018, tragedy struck again. Salling, who played the character Noah “Puck” Puckerman died of suicide at the age of 35 in Sunland, California near his residence. Prior to his sudden death, Salling was found guilty of possessing children’s pornographic images and was scheduled to be sentenced to a prison term. His death followed a mix of emotions from the audience as well as the Glee cast and crew.
The subsequent tragedies amongst many other controversies sparked conspiracy theories and brought into account the notion that the show might indeed be cursed. Reflecting on the recent tragedy of Rivera, the speculation on “Glee curse” has taken Twitter by storm. Here’s what some of the fans have to say:
The star and mother to Josey, may have saved her son’s life while giving up her own.This goes to show, Naya was a hero both on and off camera. Fans and friends have praised and applauded her. Many shared their heartfelt messages across social media; and shunned the notion that the show is cursed. There is a huge outpouring of grief and appreciation for the beloved actor.
The news has left fans across the globe in grief and disbelief, hoping this to be an unhappy coincidence. It may not be a curse, but it’s undeniable that the show has a tragic history.
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