Heather Morris talks about Naya Rivera’s friendship. Image Source: THR
Heather Morris talks about Naya Rivera’s friendship.
Actress Heather Morris, who played Brittany S. Pierce on Glee, appeared on the And That’s What You REALLY Missed podcast hosted by Glee alums and co-stars Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale, where they talked about late actress Naya Rivera. Heather and Naya were not only close friends on-screen but in real life too.
During the conversation, Heather Morris recalled that late actress and co-star Naya Rivera had followed her into her dressing room to confront her about her eating disorder. The actress shared that she had developed an eating disorder and had stopped getting her period, and because of it, she was so much in her head about food and what it was doing to her.
Heather noted that her eating disorder escalated when the success of Glee led to a concert tour in 2010 and added that she would look at the food that was being served to the cast on tour but would not eat anything, which Naya Rivera seemed to have noticed. The actress said that although she does not remember the exact conversation, she does remember Naya approaching her about her eating disorder because she had one and was very open about it in her book. She said Naya told her that she was not able to understand what was going on with her, but she could feel that something was happening, and Heather added that she was just trying to be there for her in a way.
The actress remembered that she knew that Naya only had good intentions when she approached her to have a conversation, but she blew it off at the time by telling the late actress that she was okay, and they never spoke about it again. Heather said that’s the kind of person Naya Rivera was—always ready to talk about it, to face things head-on. She said that all of them are now like that, adding that it just takes that time and place in one’s life where they feel like life’s too short.
Heather Morris' Brittany S. Pierce and Naya Rivera's Santana Lopez who were romantically involved with other on the show and in the end gets married were one of the most loved couple of the show. In her memoir "Sorry, Not Sorry," published in 2016, where Naya Rivera mentioned her battle with anorexia as a teen. She explained that she just avoided food at all costs, and if her mother packed lunch for her, she would either trash it or find some excuse to give it away.
Naya Rivera passed away in July 2020 after she accidentally drowned while on a boating trip with her son Josey, whom she shares with her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey. Naya’s last act was reportedly getting Josey back on the boat, where he was found later and is now being raised by his father. Heather wrote on her social media after Naya’s passing that she had repeatedly taught her learnings in sadness, elegance, and composure, in being resilient and powerful, and in not paying attention to anyone. The actress went on to say that the most valuable message she managed to learn from the late actress was to be a coherent and lovable friend. Heather added that Naya was the first one to check in, ask any questions, and pay heed; she cherished their friendship and just never took it for granted.
While promoting their podcast back in October, Jenna Ushkowitz and Kevin McHale shared that Cory Monteith’s death in 2013 did not have the same effect on the cast because Glee was still airing, but when Naya Rivera passed away, the show was far enough in the past that the cast and crew could find a way to heal. Another co-star, Mark Salling, who played Puck on the show, passed away by suicide in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges of possessing child pornography.
Jenna shared Cory did bring the cast together as well, but they were still doing the show, and it felt like there was a lot to lose. There were jobs at stake. There was just a lot. Like Kevin said, after Naya passed, it was like they had a lot of space away from the show and a lot of time to process, and a lot of people had time to sit with their feelings. And she thinks that was also really good for them because they had the time to reflect.
When asked why they decided to watch the show again, Jenna stated that they want to look deeper into some of the occurrences and see how they just would have changed had it been 2022. The co-stars and co-hosts added, that they recognized that it will be difficult for a lot of people and the cast to rewatch the show, but they will tell it from their experience and perspective and that is all they can do.
