#whm: march 24th

[pepperpottsandcompany]

WHM: March 24th

Female Celebrity Inspiration: Naya Rivera

"Butterflies can't see their wings. They can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well."

Naya Rivera was an American actress, singer and model, who was bets known for playing the character Santana Lopez on the show Glee. She got her first role at 4 years old on the sitcom The Royal Family. She tragically died saving her son Josey from drowning in 2020.

Naya was one of those beloved celebs who I only began to understand the hype for recently. I began watching Glee in 2020 for the first time, and after watching 3 seasons, I looked into some of the actors. Naya was an outspoken advocate for the LGBT+ community, and I am well aware that she delivered a ground-breaking performance on Glee as a woman of colour who was a lesbian. Her time as Santana Lopez inspired many to come out and accept themselves and the relationship Santana shared with Brittany was also considered a huge step forwards for LGBT+ representation on TV, specifically wlw representation. Not only was Naya a great champion of LGBT+ charities, she also dedicated time and support to organizations who help immigrants and children, as well as charities like Stand Up To Cancer. From what I saw of Naya before her disappearance, she was a good-hearted and kind woman who loved her son with everything she had and tried her best to help everyone she could in any way she could. When she died, I, like many, was heartbroken. A generous and talented soul, Naya Rivera will stay in the hearts of all of us, and hopefully inspire us to be kinder and more helpful to one another, day after day.