Naya Rivera's Glee costars are speaking out on Twitter after they were criticised for not publicly acknowledging her disappearance.
Last Wednesday, Naya was reported missing after her 4-year-old son, Josey, was found alone on a rented pontoon boat in Lake Piru.
On Thursday, the search for Naya was transitioned to a "recovery operation" after it was revealed that investigators believe the actor drowned in a "tragic accident".
Following Naya's disappearance, many people offered prayers and messages of hope on social media, including former costars Heather Morris and Harry Shum Jr, as well as Demi Lovato.
But other Glee cast members have been criticised recently for not publicly acknowledging Naya's disappearance, something which Amber Riley responded to over the weekend.
"Show some respect," Amber tweeted on Sunday. "All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family. No one owes anyone online a performance of grief."
#helpfindnaya #NayaRivera #nayariveramissing
She added: "This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us. We don't matter right now."
Kevin McHale, who played Artie on Glee, echoed Amber's message, asking people to respect the privacy of Naya's family and to "refrain from judging" the people who haven't spoken out on social media.
I cannot begin to understand what Naya’s family must be feeling. I know the rest of us are completely shattered, but not without hope. Please respect her family & their privacy in this moment. Please refrain from judging those who don’t show their pain on social media. ♥️ https://t.co/DXsUj3qdCh
This follows reports that Lea Michele deactivated her Twitter account on Saturday after apparently being harassed and subjected to abusive tweets for not speaking out about the disappearance.
