Naya Rivera plays the sultry and scheming Santana Lopez on Glee. Known for her feisty attitude and fierce one-liners, fans hope to see her on the show until it ends after Season 6. With her interesting storylines and powerful voice, she has undoubtedly left her mark on the show. Meet the 27-year-old latina who is sure to have a long career filled with great things.
1. There Are Hints That She’s Leaving ‘Glee’ Which Is Upsetting Fans
(Facebook)
In January, The Hollywood Reporter left Rivera out of the cast list when they talked about the 100th episode.
Then, in February, Rivera tweeted this message, which had the words, “ended together” in the hastag.
On set with Glee shooting a very sweet Brit/Santana scene! #starttogetherendtogether
— Naya Rivera (@NayaRivera) February 6, 2014
To add to the rumors, when Lea Michele was interviewed on MTV, she also neglected to mention Rivera when she announced all the cast members who will be in the show as it moves to New York City.
Fans are not happy with these hints and are responding in a negative way to Santana’s possible exit.
I'm seeing rumours about Naya Rivera leaving Glee… no she can't leave. Santana breathing makes the entire series.
— Adam Crisslinchester (@abnormallyadam) March 8, 2014
If Naya is really leaving glee, I don't think I will watch it anymore. There is no glee without Santana for me.
— Sabina (@proudlovatic19) March 4, 2014
If the rumors about Naya Rivera leaving glee are true I'm going to crawl in a hole and cry
— Court (@holy_GRAILing_) March 7, 2014
2. She Met Her Fiance, Big Sean, On Twitter
In October of 2013, the happy couple got engaged, after stepping out for the first time together in April. They are very open about their relationship, frequently posting Instagram pictures together, and a Christmas card.
Their relationship started when Rivera decided to follow the rapper on Twitter after seeing him in GQ magazine.
Big Sean’s assistant happened to be a huge Gleek, and told her boss,
‘I’m Puerto Rican, she’s Puerto Rican; it sounds like you’d have so much fun with her.’
He then messaged the actress on Twitter and the rest is Hollywood history.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she gushed about how her fiance has the control in their relationship.
He’s so kind to people, but he also wears the pants in our relationship, which I love. We Latinas are very independent and strong, so it’s even sweeter that I’ve found somebody who can let me out of that role for a minute.
3. She Dated Multiple Girls on ‘Glee’
In Season 5, Demi Lovato joined the cast as Santana’s love interest. As you can see from the above clip, the two share a kiss.
Lovato told Ryan Seacrest what she hoped the kiss’ message would be:
I don’t want people to take from this, ‘Oh my god, Demi is kissing a girl. I want people to take from it this is actually an incredible step in our generation today where I’m able to play a young lesbian on primetime TV … I’m honored to be able to be hopefully inspiring people with my character to be who they are and not be afraid of it or ashamed.
Before Lovato came on the show, Rivera had another lesbian relationship, with Heather Morris’ character, Brittany. Fans complained when the powers that be at Glee broke up Santana and Britanny aka “Brittana.”
Santana and Brittany pic.twitter.com/88cpiSrv2f
— (@PerfectShips) January 12, 2014
She told Vulture that fans are still up in arms over the breakup on social media:
Yeah, they’re still not happy about that. Every now and then I’ll check Twitter and “Brittana forever!” will be trending worldwide. It’s amazing they do that. But yeah, they’re still not happy.
Then, a straight character on the show, Quinn, played by Dianna Agron, slept with Santana.
Rivera told Vulture that she didn’t read too much into that storyline:
I don’t know. I didn’t really think anything of it. I just thought that it made sense because [Quinn] is like a crazy person anyways. Of course she would just try this because she would try anything.
4. Her Brother Is a Tight End For the Oakland Raiders
Happy new year! Love, the Rivera's pic.twitter.com/BqkpkauE
— Naya Rivera (@NayaRivera) January 1, 2013
Newcomer to the Raiders, Mychal Rivera, is Naya’s little brother.
She was actually in the stands as he made his first NFL touchdown. The moment when she got up and cheered at the feat and screamed “F*ck Yeah,” was captured below.
5. She’s a Spokeswoman for Bud Lite
In August of 2013, she became the host of Bud Light Music First’s 50/50/1.
On the anheuser-busch site, she is quoted with saying:
Bud Light Music First reconnects fans with the artists already on their playlists and helps them discover new styles and future favorites. I’m looking forward to helping Bud Light connect the entire country through music with a one-day concert experience unlike any other.
On the site, Rob McCarthy, vice president of Bud Light talked about why she was chosen:
Naya is the ideal host for 50/50/1 – she’s a funny and engaging entertainer that has a true passion for music. We’re excited to have her join Bud Light Music First and help us bring fans closer to the music they love.
Alcohol is not the only thing she supports.
In 2011, she revealed that she was the new spokeswoman for Proactiv, the acne medication. She told People that she herself struggled with acne, and reached out to the company:
I used Proactiv and it really did work for me. It helped me out, so I got in contact with the company and told them I would love to share my story. So I showed them photos and they said, ‘This is great.’ Wait till people see my pictures. That’s all I have to say. I definitely have the photos to prove [I had a problem].
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Naya Rivera of ‘Glee’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know