“Glee” actress Naya Rivera‘s family has come forward to speak on her shocking death last week following an extensive search at a California lake. The late entertainer’s day ones released a statement thanking fans and authorities for showing massive support.

Naya Rivera x Family Statement

On Tuesday, the Rivera family issued a public message to the masses. The statement centered on remembering Naya and her brief time as a sibling, mother and daughter.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister. Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya. We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support. Heaven gained our sassy angel. We kindly request that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.” (Deadline)

High-Key Details

On Monday, reports surfaced about the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department announcing her body being discovered in Lake Piru. The 33-year-old went missing just days ago after going on a solo outing with her 4-year-old son.

The Sheriff’s Department has scheduled a news conference for later today. Best known for her starring role on the Fox show Glee, the actor is presumed to have drowned on Wednesday while boating on Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest, north of Los Angeles. Rivera was 33 years old. (NPR)

Wait, There’s More

A few days ago, some reports suggested the search for Rivera might result in her body being found. An accident was ultimately cited as the possible cause of a drowning.

Actress Naya Rivera, known for her role on “Glee,” is believed to have drowned in “what appears to be a tragic accident” while boating with her son on a California lake, authorities said Thursday. Rivera was reported missing Wednesday, when her 4-year-old son was found on a pontoon boat by himself. Sergeant Kevin Donoghue said in a news conference Thursday that Rivera and her son rented a boat to take out on Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest at approximately 1 p.m. local time. The rental was supposed to last for three hours — and when the pair had not returned by 4:30 p.m., workers went out to search for them, Donoghue said. (CBS News)

Before You Go

Initially, local law enforcement spoke about the possibility of Rivera’s body never being discovered if she drowned. During a Thursday conference, Sgt. Kevin Donoghue of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office gave an update to media.

“It depends,” Donoghue replied when asked if Rivera’s body will be recovered if she did indeed drown. “If the body is entangled in something beneath the water, it may never come back up. We don’t know.” (Us Weekly)

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