Cast members of hit TV show Glee are set to come together at this years GLAAD Media Awards to celebrate character Santana Lopez’s legacy and commemorate the 10th anniversary of her coming out on Glee.
Naya Rivera, who played Santana – a fan-favourite for her portrayal of a young cheerleader’s coming out journey – tragically died last year during a California boating trip with her son Josey.
Now her former co-stars will celebrate her work at the 32nd annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation media awards on April 8.
Amber Riley, Jane Lynch, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Matthew Morrison, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Jacob Artist, Vanessa Lengies, Alex Newell, Harry Shum Jr. and Becca Tobin will all be in attendance on the night.
Heather Morris wrote on Twitter: ‘Our not so little GLEE family is reuniting at the #GLAADawards to pay tribute to the legacy of my dear Naya Rivera’s character Santana Lopez, and the impact she had on LGBTQ young people.’
Of course, such is the way with tributes, almost as important as who will be attending, is who WON’T.
Lea Michele, Chord Overstreet, and Dianna Agron were not listed on the press launch and seemingly won’t appear in the in the highly-anticipated tribute and cast reunion.
Lea Michelle, whose turbulent relationship with Naya was often the topic of much speculation for press and Glee fans alike, came under fire last year after being accused of verbally abusing cast members along with other “other traumatic microaggressions,” and has been mostly out of the spotlight since.
Demi Lovato (who played one of Santana’s girlfriends on the series), will introduce the cast on the night.
The GLAAD Media Awards 2021, hosted by Niecy Nash, will stream on YouTube on April 8 at 8pm ET. The stream will also be available on Hulu on April 8 and then on-demand until the end of June.
Good excuse for a Santana best bits compilation? We think so…