The Oscars may have gotten it right with the seemingly unscripted but actually scripted Glenn Close performance to “Da Butt” with Lil Rel Howery, but they got it wrong with the exclusion of several key individuals during the “In Memoriam” segment.
With the Oscar season being extended due to the pandemic, the list of names to honor was unfortunately longer than previous years. The film and television world of film lost many notable figures including Sean Connery, Cicely Tyson, Cloris Leachman, Christopher Plummer and Chadwick Boseman, who concluded the segment of reflection.
Unfortunately, Glee star Naya Rivera was among those not included in the segment, leading many on Twitter to do their own rendition of In Memoriam. One Twitter user tweeted, “Oscars didn’t, so I’m doing it.”
#Oscars didn’t, so I’m doing it.
IN MEMORIAM OF NAYA RIVERA. pic.twitter.com/qWDoezisFX
— celeste ミ☆ (@heyaspetsch) April 26, 2021
IN MEMORIAM OF NAYA RIVERA
actress, dancer, singer, mom! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/VOSC2qo8tw
— gaby & ana conta de casal (@nayafavs) April 26, 2021
Rivera’s career spanned decades. She got her start as a child actress and model. She captivated hearts then, but it would be her performance in Fox’s Glee that would cement her name in history books for portraying the groundbreaking character of Santana Lopez. She also appeared in shows such as Girlfriends, the Bernie Mac Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Soul Food and Family Matters.
Rivera died last summer after a boating incident on California’s Lake Piru. It has been theorized by officials that Rivera and her young son somehow went into the water and at that time the two were caught in a current. Officials believe that she was able to save her son by placing him on the boat before the current’s might took her under. Her body was discovered days later.
