Naya Rivera Releases Statement On Cory Monteith’s Death

Naya Rivera who plays Santana on Fox's "Glee" has released a statement on 31-year-old Cory Monteith's sudden death.

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"The entire Glee family and I are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Cory was and always will be a part of my own family and a good friend. He was a special part of this world and will forever be missed. My heart goes out to Cory's family and Lea and while we are grateful for everyone's well wishes, privacy during this time of grief is greatly appreciated."

Rivera was one of the original cast members alongside Monteith and Lea Michele. It's understandable then that Cory's recent and unexpected death has hit her and the other "Glee" cast members pretty hard.

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Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room on Saturday. The cause of death was announced and officials confirmed that mixed toxicity involving heroin and alcohol to be the cause of Cory Monteith's death. The tests, which included an autopsy and toxicology analysis, concluded that his death was accidental.

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Back in May the actor had checked into a rehabilitation center for drug addiction according to reports. He said in 2011 that he had entered rehab once before when he was 18. He was 30 years old at the time of his death.