Big Sean breaks his silence with sweet tribute to his late ex-fiancée Naya Rivera
Hip-hop artist Big Sean has broken his silence after his ex fiancée Naya Rivera was confirmed dead at 33 following a days-long search to recover her body.
The Glee star first went missing on Wednesday, July 8, when she rented a pontoon with her four-year-old son Josey to go swimming at Lake Piru in Southern California. Three hours later, when they hadn't returned, the vendor who rented them the boat found the boy floating on the pontoon by himself.
An intensive five-day search by police ensued and on Monday, July 13, authorities confirmed that they were confident the body they found was Rivera's when it resurfaced shortly after her Glee co-stars gathered by the lake and "prayed for her."
Big Sean has shared a heartfelt tribute to his late ex-fiancée Naya Rivera. Getty
On Friday, July 17 (local time), the 32-year-old rapper took to Instagram to remember the late TV star.
"Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul," he wrote. "Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn't achieve that on their own."
READ MORE: Captain in charge of finding Naya Rivera's body shares intimate details about search operation
The 'Single Again' rapper took a moment to reflect on their prior relationship, stating that he's "still grieving and in shock" and "can't believe this is real."
Naya Rivera's ex-fiancé has shared a touching tribute in the wake of her death. Getty
"I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person," he said, adding, "I'm praying for you and your family and I know you're watching over them and protecting them."
Big Sean breaks his silence over his ex Naya Rivera's death. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via
The post marks the first time that Big Sean, whose real name is Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, has publicly commented on the actress' death. Until now, he had shown his support by liking tweets by others in relation to her disappearance.
Rivera and the musician first met on Twitter. The pair began dating in 2013 and got engaged in 2014, however they split six months later. The rapper had appeared on Rivera's debut single 'Sorry' in 2013.
Big Sean featured on Naya Rivera's debut 2013 single 'Sorry'. Columbia
Big Sean joins a long list of stars who have expressed their sorrow at Rivera's passing including Glee's creators, Glee stars Dianna Agron, Heather Morris, and Corey Monteith's mother Ann McGregor.
