- "
Glee " starNaya Rivera was found dead on Monday following a five-day search in Lake Piru, California. - Since then, fans have been posting about her notable performances on the hit series.
- Many people have shared videos of Rivera performing The Band Perry's "If I Die Young," but some fans are calling it insensitive and triggering.
- Instead, "Glee" fans are urging people to highlight Rivera's many other performances on the show.
Fans are asking others not to share clips of "Glee" star Naya Rivera singing The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" as videos of her performances from the show go viral.
On Monday, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the 33-year-old actress was found dead in Lake Piru, California, five days after she went missing.
Fans began sharing clips of the actress, who starred as Santana Lopez on "Glee, performing "If I Die Young." She sang an emotional cover of the song during season five, episode three ("The Quarterback"), which was a tribute to late costar Cory Monteith and his character Finn Hudson.
People posted about "If I Die Young" so many times, especially following confirmation of her death, that it became a trending topic on Twitter on Monday.
"Glee" fans said that the performance impacted them more deeply after Rivera's death. Her body was found on the seventh anniversary of the death of Monteith, who died of an overdose in July 2013 at 31 years old. "If I Die Young" also includes the lyrics, "Sink me in the river at dawn."
Many people on Twitter said that they shared the moving performance because they considered it to be one of Rivera's standout covers.
Other fans thought it was insensitive and triggering to post the cover online.
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People suggested that fans honor and celebrate Rivera by posting about her many other performances throughout her time on "Glee."
"Stop posting the pictures of her loved ones mourning her death and the "if I die young" video. Instead let's post the happy memories of her because this is how she should be remembered forever #RIPNayaRivera," Twitter user @Poppytrixx wrote, posting a video of Rivera and Demi Lovato, who had a recurring role as Santana's love interest on season five as Dani, performing The Beatles hit "Here Comes the Sun."
"Let's take a moment to acknowledge that back to black was the best vocal performance of naya rivera on glee," @blvckbeatles wrote, sharing a clip of Rivera performing Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" on season two, episode 21 ("Funeral").
Others called attention to Rivera's joyful performance of "Valerie" (originally released by The Zutons but popularized by Winehouse's cover), which was included in the 2011 documentary film "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" and the cast's concert tour.
Rivera also sang the track on season two, episode nine ("Special Education").
"santana's standout performance is not if i die young, it's valerie. naya looked so happy in this scene, you can tells her loved doing this performance. look at her," @rositaxesp wrote.
"stop posting the "if i die young" scene which naya obviously hated every second of, here's naya having the time of her life with her best friends on the glee tour doing what she loved #RIPNayaRivera," @sivanteenn said.
People also loved Rivera and Amber Riley's (Mercedes Jones) rendition of Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" from season two, episode four ("Duets").
Singer Kehlani said that Rivera "transformed" Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird." The track was performed during season two, episode 19.
—Kehlani (@Kehlani) July 13, 2020
Twitter user @Ensaladilla_ also started a thread of Rivera's "Glee" covers, beginning with her mashup of Adele's "Someone Like You" and "Rumour Has It" from season three, episode six ("Mash Off").
"i remember being blown away by the amount of raw emotion naya controlled in this performance and still think about it all the time," @gabebergado said of the performance.
During a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rivera said that she submitted that episode for Emmy consideration because it "was a blessing to have an episode that was so well rounded."