Jane Lynch Remembers Naya Rivera on THE TODAY SHOW

Jane Lynch appeared on THE TODAY SHOW on Wednesday, where she remembered her Glee co-star Naya Rivera, Deadline reports.

"She was a force of nature, and it's just gut-wrenching and heartbreaking that she's gone," Lynch said of Rivera. "I think that one of the things that kind of got lost when we were doing the show was what a force she was because there were so many talented people. She was one of those people. She wasn't in every scene, but when she was ... she just blew everybody away."

Lynch also talked about Rivera's work ethic, saying, "I had three-page monologues, so did she. It took me a week to get mine - she would do them right off the bat. She'd be changing them and she had no problem with it."

Furthermore, Lynch noted that Rivera was a positive influence on young LGBTQ people through her character Santana's on-screen relationship with Brittany S. Pierce, played by Heather Morris.

"She was a great advocate and loved the fact that she and Heather Morris had the lesbian relationship on the show and how much that meant to so many young people," Lynch said.

Read the original story on Deadline.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Naya Rivera was boating on Lake Piru in Ventura County with her 4-year-old son, Josey, on Wednesday, July 8. Josey was found asleep on a boat on the lake at 5pm, but told authorities that his mom never got back on the boat after the two went swimming. Josey was found with a life vest, but Rivera was not wearing one, officials said.

Rivera's body was recovered from Lake Piru, according to the Ventura Country Sheriff's department, and the cause of death was ruled an accidental drowning.

Read her full obituary here.