Glee starsAmber Riley (Mercedes Jones) and Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams) spoke out after fans asked them to comment onNaya Rivera 's disappearance.- Rivera has been missing since Wednesday, following a boating trip on Lake Piru with her son, who was found alone on their rented pontoon boat.
- Riley told fans to "show some respect" and said that "No one owes anyone online a performance of grief," in response to people who criticized her and her other costars for not sharing statements about Rivera online.
- McHale also told people on Twitter to "please refrain from judging those who don't show their pain on social media."
"Glee" stars are reacting after fans criticized them for not publicly comment on the disappearance of Naya Rivera.
On Wednesday, Rivera, known for her role as cheerleader Santana Lopez on the Fox series, went missing during a boating trip on Lake Piru, California. The 33-year-old star rented a pontoon boat at 1 p.m. for her and 4-year-old son Josey Dorsey, who she shares with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, per CBSLA.
Approximately three hours later, a boater found the child alone of the boat, asleep and wearing a life vest.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Department has been searching for Rivera since she was reported as missing. They also shifted the search to a recovery mission, since the actress is presumed to be dead. Investigators said that Rivera likely drowned in the lake in what appears to be a "tragic accident," with no signs of foul play.
Many of Rivera's costars, like Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce) and Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans), wrote heartfelt messages on social media shortly after Rivera went missing.
However, fans called out cast members like Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), and Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) for staying silent on social media.
In response, Riley told people to "show some respect" and said that the stars don't owe fans a public reaction.
"Show some respect," she wrote on Twitter. "All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family. No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us. We don't matter right now."
—Amber Patrice Riley (@MsAmberPRiley) July 12, 2020
—Amber Patrice Riley (@MsAmberPRiley) July 12, 2020
Riley's tweet was liked by Colfer, McHale, and Ushkowitz, among many others. McHale also quoted her tweet and asked fans to "please refrain from judging those who don't show their pain on social media."
—Kevin McHale (@druidDUDE) July 12, 2020
"Glee" star Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) also hasn't shared a statement about Rivera on social media, and she deactivated her Twitter. The reason is unclear, but people think the actress stepped away from Twitter due to bullying from fans.
"Glee" fans will recall that Michele and Rivera didn't get along on the set of their hit show. Rivera wrote about the feud in her 2016 memoir, "Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up." She also said that reports about their feud were "were blown out of proportion."
Weeks ago, Michele apologized for her past behavior after "Glee" costar Samantha Ware accused her of being a hypocrite for posting about the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Read more:
- 'Glee' stars are sharing heartfelt messages for Naya Rivera after the actress goes missing
- Investigators say 'Glee' actress Naya Rivera likely drowned in a California lake in what appears to be a 'tragic accident'
- Naya Rivera's 'Glee' co-star Heather Morris is offering a foot search and rescue mission for the missing actress
- WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Glee'