Heather Morris played cheerleader Brittany S. Pierce and a love interest to Naya Rivera’s character, Santana Lopez, on 'Glee.'
Heather Morris is honoring Naya Rivera on the fourth anniversary of her death.
Morris, 37, posted a throwback photo and sweet tribute to her Glee co-star on Instagram on Monday. Rivera was just 33 years old when she drowned during a boating trip with her son, Josey, in July 2020.
"I can't believe it's been 4 years... boy how time flies," Morris wrote. "Yet every year I'm taken by surprise how much it still hurts. We grow up together, fell apart, and came back together in such a beautiful way. God you're missed so much…except I can't shake the feeling you never left…you're still here with us... guiding us to our highest potential."
She concluded, "I miss you Nay Nay."
In the black-and-white picture posted to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," Morris wraps her arms around Rivera. Morris reposted the post to her Instagram Story with the caption, "I miss you angel."
Morris had a friends-to-lovers storyline as cheerleader Brittany S. Pierce with Rivera's character, Santana Lopez, on Glee. The two were close off-set too. Morris has often memorialized the actress since her passing, even getting a tattoo in Rivera's honor on the first anniversary of her death. She shared a tribute to Rivera on the two-year anniversary of her death as well.
Rivera was reported missing on July 8, 2020, following a boat ride with her then-4-year-old son, Josey, on California's Lake Piru. Her body was recovered five days later, with no evidence of foul play or suicide present, according to authorities.
Rivera shared Josey with her ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, whom she was married to from 2014 to 2018.
In March 2023, Dorsey opened up to ET about the ups and downs of navigating single parenthood.
"Some days are harder than the others and some days... I'm optimistic and some days I'm sad. I guess that's for everybody in life, but it's hard for me when Josey will say certain things and if he misses his mom or whatever it is or he'll bring up certain moments that obviously he'll never forget from the worst day of his life," he told ET.
"And there's not much for me to say except I just say, 'I know, buddy, and I love you,' and I just give him a hug. Just some human dad to son contact and rub his head and squeeze him because it's all I can do because I don't really have any answers," Dorsey continued. "I'm not one of those, 'Everything happens for a reason,' type of people. When I was younger I was, but then you get older and you see what's going on in the world, it's hard for me to get behind... that kind of mantra."
Dorsey added that Josey is "overall, a happy kid" with ambitious interests and hobbies.
"I'm doing the best I can," he said. "I'm trying to keep it together and provide a safe and happy life for him. He's doing really well in school and he has a lot of friends. He's such a social kid. Everybody loves Josey and he's funny."
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