She was of African-American, German, and Puerto Rican descent. She was raised in Valencia and lived in or around Los Angeles for most of her life. Naya Marie Rivera was born in Valencia, California, on January 12, 1987.

At the time of her death, she was between seasons of the television series Step Up, in which she played Collette Jones, the female lead. Following a five-day search, her body was recovered from the lake on the morning of July 13. On July 8, 2020, Rivera drowned at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California, while swimming with her four-year-old son. Because of her varied roles across her three decades as a performer, Rivera is seen as having been a vanguard of Afro-Latino and LGBT representation on television. Her personal life garnered significant press and media attention throughout her career, and in 2016 she published a memoir titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. She also spoke out against racism, especially in entertainment. Besides performing, Rivera championed various charitable causes, particularly for LGBT rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. On the big screen, Rivera made her debut in the horror film At the Devil's Door (2014) before playing a supporting role in the comedy Mad Families (2017). She won two ALMA Awards as a music artist.

She was signed to Columbia Records as a solo musical artist in 2011 and – despite never releasing a studio album – released a single, ' Sorry', in 2013. For the role, she received critical acclaim and various awards, including a SAG Award and ALMA Award, as well as earning nominations with the rest of the cast for two Grammy Awards and one Brit Award. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, she got her breakthrough role in 2009 as lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee (2009–2015).

At the age of four, she landed the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family (1991–1992), earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at age five.

She began her career as a child actress and model, first appearing in national television commercials. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series Glee, she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for two Grammy Awards. Naya Marie Rivera ( / ˈ n aɪ ə r ɪ ˈ v ɛər ə/ January 12, 1987 – July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model.

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