Body Found During Search for Missing ‘Glee’ Actress Naya Rivera: Sheriff

Actress Naya Rivera attends the 23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 15, 2016. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Police confirmed Monday they have found a body during the search for missing “Glee” star Naya Rivera at a California lake.

“Happening now: A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. A news conference will take place at 2 pm at the lake,” wrote the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

Other details about the body were not confirmed. The local medical examiner’s office will have to work to confirm whether the remains belong to the actress.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s department has notified Rivera’s family, sheriff’s office spokesman Eric Buschow said Monday

“When you have a situation like this and it ends up being a recovery, it’s hard for everybody involved. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for the family,” Buschow said in a live interview with KTLA. “Hopefully this provides some level of closure, whatever that means, for the family.”

Rivera, 33, disappeared last week while visiting Lake Piru with her 4-year-old son. The boy was found alone in a boat that the actress had rented.

A boat covered in caution tape rented by "Glee" actress Naya Rivera sits at a dock while members of Ventura County Sheriff's Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team search for the actress at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, Calif., on July 9, 2020. Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

A helicopter helps in the search for former "Glee" star Naya Rivera at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, Calif., on July 9, 2020. Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo

The boy, Josey, is said to be in good health following the incident.

Last week, sheriff’s officials told news outlets that Rivera is presumed to be dead, about a day after she went missing.

“We’re presuming that an accident happened and we’re presuming she drowned in the lake,” Deputy Chris Dyer said at a news conference on July 9.

He said that a search-and-rescue changed to a recovery operation.

“The goal is still to bring Miss Rivera home to her family,” he said at the time.

Actress Naya Rivera attends Vanity Fair and FIAT Celebration of Young Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2016. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Heather Morris, who worked with Rivera on “Glee,” said on Instagram that “we need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light,” including prayer emojis.

Harry Shum Jr., who also appeared on the show, wrote on Twitter, saying “Praying.” Iqbal Thebawrote, another “Glee” star wrote on Twitter: “Oh God… mercy… please…,” while re-posting a report of Rivera’s disappearance.

Two other actors who appeared on “Glee” have died in recent years. Mark Salling, who played “Puck” on the show, committed suicide in January 2018 after he was accused of assault and possession of child pornography.

Years before that, Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver, Canada, hotel room. Officials later ruled that he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.