Producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have paid tribute to the late 'Glee' actress and announced college fund set up for her four-year-old child.

• Jul 15, 2020

AceShowbiz - TV guru Ryan Murphy and his "Glee" co-creators are honouring the memory of tragic actress Naya Rivera by establishing a college fund for her young son.

The 33 year old's death was confirmed on Monday (13Jul20) after her body was recovered from Lake Piru in California, where she had disappeared on 8 July after taking her four-year-old son, Josey, on a boat ride.

Rivera's "Glee" co-stars have been sharing their devastation at the loss in a series of social media tributes, and now Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have broken their silence about the sad situation, admitting they are "heartbroken" by her passing.

In a statement, the writers reveal they "lucked" out after finding "one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with" and were so blown away by the former child star's talents, they turned her bit part as lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez into a main character.

"Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!)," they shared. "She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease. She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around."

They also fondly recalled the "humor and humanity" she brought to her character's romance with fellow cheerleader Brittany, played by her close pal Heather Morris, and noted that Rivera recognised the significance of being part of "one of the first" portrayals of an "openly lesbian, high school relationship" on U.S. network TV.

"Naya was a real pro," Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennan continued. "Always on time, always knew her lines (which wasn't easy considering the giant mouthfuls of dialogue we often gave her), always kept everyone laughing on the set. She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding. She was fun. She was kind. She was generous."

"There were ups and downs during the wonderful and stressful years we spent making Glee. We disagreed, we fought, we made up, then we fought some more, than (sic) we made up again. The kinds of things that happen in a family. Naya was more than just an actor on our show - she was our friend."

Concluding the touching statement, they wrote, "Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey. The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all."

Rivera shared Josey with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Dorsey. The couple split in 2018 after almost four years of marriage.