Naya Rivera’s Autopsy Report Reveals New Details About The Glee Star’s Death

Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez for Glee

The sudden death of Glee star Naya Rivera hit the entertainment world hard. The actress died at the age of 33 after drowning during a boat trip with her young son, Josey, back in July. As time has progressed, additional information regarding her final moments has been reported, including the fact that one of her last acts was making sure her son was safe. Now, additional details on the incident have come to light via the autopsy report.

A new report reveals that Naya Rivera and her son initially jumped into the water at Diablo Cove to swim after doing a brief countdown. However, not long after they dove in, Rivera would help her son back onto the boat before yelling for help:

Shortly after they jumped in the water, the decedent told Josey to get back on the boat. She helped him onto the boat and he then heard the decedent yell 'help' and she put her arm in the air. She then disappeared into the water.

The report, which was obtained by ET, also states that Naya Rivera declined to take a life jacket when offered one by the boat rental employee. Despite this, the employee still made sure the boat had one, which was later found by authorities.

According to the report, Naya Rivera’s mother told authorities that her daughter could swim and mentioned that she and her son had planned to have a barbecue before she decided to rent the boat. This latter fact was evidenced by charcoal in Rivera’s car and a “bag of food items” found in the boat.

Investigators also found several items in Naya Rivera’s purse, which included her cell phone, “syringes with a pink fluid substance, identification, and a filled prescription slip for amphetamine was found in the decedent’s purse." There were also reportedly “three 12 ounce White Claw alcohol cans” near Rivera’s purse. The report specified that “one of the cans was empty, one was open and was about 3/4 full, and one was unopened.”

The report also noted that the actress had recently suffered from a sinus infection and had a history of vertigo, for which she had been previously treated. The report stated that the vertigo “would get worse when she was in the water.” At this time, drowning is still listed as Rivera’s cause of death.

Many of Naya Rivera’s colleagues are still reeling from her passing, and many have posted beautiful tributes to her. Shortly after her death, many of her former Glee co-stars gathered at Lake Piru in her honor. Other co-stars like Lea Michele and Amber Riley would also pen heartfelt messages dedicated to her memory. In addition, Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are also in the process of setting up a college fund for her son.

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Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.