Naya Rivera's Real Name: Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera → Naya Rivera
Quick answer: The actress is known professionally as Naya Rivera. The Television Academy and BlackPast independently date her birth to January 12, 1987, in California, though they name different cities. BlackPast's longer form, Naya Marie Rivera, is recorded below rather than used in the title (Television Academy; BlackPast).
Real name and early life
She is known professionally as Naya Rivera. The Television Academy lists her birthday as January 12, 1987, and her birthplace as Santa Clarita, California. BlackPast independently says Naya Marie Rivera was born on January 12, 1987, in Valencia, California. The two sources agree on the date but not on the city name, so both places are recorded here. The Television Academy biography does not use the middle name Marie, so that longer form is noted below rather than used in the title. Both say her first major television role came at age four on The Royal Family; BlackPast dates that credit to 1991.
Career highlights
The Associated Press says Rivera rose to national attention as Santana Lopez on Glee, which aired from 2009 until 2015 on Fox. The BBC independently identifies her as best known for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez in Glee.
Death
The Associated Press, in a July 13, 2020, report, said Rivera's body was discovered five days after she disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son was found July 8 alone on a boat the two had rented, and that the Ventura County Sheriff's Office confirmed the body was hers. The BBC, in a July 15, 2020, report, said she went missing during a Wednesday boat trip at Lake Piru, divers found her body on Monday, and the Ventura County medical examiner said, "The cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accident." The Television Academy lists a date of passing of July 8, 2020, in Piru, California, and BlackPast also says she died on July 8, 2020, while noting her body was found on July 13. Those July 8 death-date listings conflict with the AP and BBC chronology of a July 8 disappearance and a July 13 recovery.
Name notes for searchers
People looking up Naya Rivera are looking for the Glee actress born in 1987. BlackPast's longer form is recorded here but is not used in the title.
FAQ
What is Naya Rivera's real name?
She is known professionally as Naya Rivera. BlackPast uses Naya Marie Rivera; the Television Academy biography does not include that middle name.
When and where was she born?
January 12, 1987, according to the Television Academy, which names Santa Clarita, California, and BlackPast, which names Valencia, California.
What role is she most associated with?
Santana Lopez on Glee (2009–2015), according to the Associated Press, the BBC, the Television Academy, and BlackPast.
When did she die?
The Associated Press said she disappeared on July 8, 2020, on Lake Piru and that her body was found July 13. The BBC reported an accidental drowning ruling. The Television Academy and BlackPast list July 8, 2020, as the date of death, a conflict recorded above.