Producer Holly Sorensen is struggling to cope with the actress' death, calling her 'a creative wunderkind' in a heartfelt tribute after her body was found.
- Jul 18, 2020
AceShowbiz - "Step Up" creator Holly Sorensen is struggling to cope with the "unconscionable" loss of her former leading lady Naya Rivera.
Naya portrayed Collette Jones on the "Step Up: High Water" web series for two seasons and the woman behind the show is really struggling with her drowning death.
"There is an aching hole in the soul of the Step Up family," Holly wrote in a lengthy statement on Friday (17Jul20). "Naya Rivera was more than just a cast member to us. She was a leader, a creative wunderkind, a pro and a bada**.
"Every show is of course a family, but there are many kinds of families. The Step Up family is, blessedly, the kind we all yearn for: loving, supportive, hilarious and committed - and this is in no small part because of the beautiful energy of Naya, making this loss unconscionable."
Holly went on to reveal she and her "Step Up" colleagues are mourning for her entire family as they prepare for a surreal new season of the show without Naya.
"I talked to Naya very recently, and she was also a part of a wonderful cast and crew video for my birthday the day before she went missing," the producer recalled. "She was exuberant and happy...."
"While we are so happy our last images of her are of a blazingly bright light, we so grieve it extinguished. Rest in power, dear Naya. One of the coolest, and most beautiful people we will ever know, and will never, ever forget."
Naya went missing during a boating trip with her son, Josey, on Lake Piru, California on 8 July (20). Her body was recovered from the lake on Monday, after a five-day search.
