August 28, 2025 • 40 mins
Naya Rivera and Santana Lopez left an indelible mark on Glee fans, so it's only right to hear from you, the fans!
Kevin and Jenna turn the podcast over to Glee fans from all over the globe for their heartfelt memories of Naya, favorite Santana moments, and how she made people feel seen for the first time ever with her trailblazing role as a Latina LGBTQ+ character. Naya Rivera’s legacy continues and will continue to shine brightly.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And that's what you really missed With Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Podcast, Welcome to you, and that's what you really missed.
We are back with our Naia tribute and this time
we are hearing directly from you.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
So many of you sent in the most beautiful, heartfelt
memories of Naya and what her portrayal Santana meant to you.
So thank you, thank you so much for that.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And obviously we wanted to give you guys the space
to share your thoughts after last week sharing all of
our wonderful thoughts about Nya. So this episode is for
all of you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Hello everyone, It's Sands, Breadsticks or Abby. I'm here to
talk about the lovely, the beautiful, the majestic, the funny,
the smart, amazing Nia Rivera, whereas cannot describe or encapsulate
how much I love this woman and how much she
means to me, how much she has changed my life,
(00:54):
her as herself, her playing Santana, and what back has
done for me. There are not enough thank yous that
I can say to her that I wish I got
to say to her, and that I hope she can
hear now, because she has changed my life forever. Something
about her that was really special to me was just
(01:16):
how funny she was, whether it was in behind the
scenes videos, whenever she came on a podcast like Showman
to the Dance Room, her interviews, her book.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Girl was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It was something that I was so obsessed with because
how can someone be this funny? And something else that
has really stuck with me and all the anecdotes and
stories about her, was just how kind she was and
also how she stood for what she believed in. Nothing
was going to shake her. She was going to say
what she felt was right at the time, and she
was going to stick up for the underdog. And as
(01:50):
a younger person, hearing that inspired me to do the same.
As raumatic as it sounds, I would not be the
person I am today without her, and I'm eternally grateful.
I hope wherever she is that she can hear these
beautiful voice notes, and I hope that she feels the
love that she deserves. She's truly one of a kind,
one of my favorite people to ever exist on this earth,
(02:12):
and I miss her every day and I think about
her every day, and I wonder would she have liked
this movie, which she had liked this album and she's
just with me everywhere I go. Naya, I love you.
I hope you can hear this. We all miss you
and we love you. I also just wanted to clock
back in and say a quick thank you to Kevin
and Jenna for allowing us to have the space to
talk about Nya and Corey and the show that means
(02:35):
so much to us. I'm sure it can be difficult
at times to talk about all these things, but I
know that so many people really appreciate having the space
to do so.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
So thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Bye, Hi, Jenna and Kevin.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
My name is Ari. I'm twenty years old, and despite
being a little young for Glee, I grew up watching
Glee with my older cousin since the first season, so
I'm definitely an og gleek and Nya and Santana were
so special to me growing up coming into my sexuality
(03:17):
as a lesbian.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
I remember.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
Always knowing that I liked women, and it was really
because of Nya and seeing how unashamed Santana was in
it when she did come out, and also how eager
Santana was to or how eager Naya was to play
Santana and be such an intricate part in the LGBTQ community,
(03:45):
especially for lesbian so honestly, just her entire existence, like,
I love her and I miss her so much.
Speaker 7 (03:50):
Hi Kevin, Hi Jena. I'm Juanita Martinez. I'm from Colombia.
But with that specifically, I'm twenty five years old and
I've been a fan of Glee since i was ten
years old. A core memory there that I have of
Naya is when she told her grandma that she was
(04:15):
a lesbian. I felt seen in a way. I was
just ten years old, but I felt that she kind
of represented me. I didn't know at the time that
I really like girls, but but she made me realize
(04:37):
in one way or another that people like her, people
like me existed, And that was a very like cracking
moment of my life. And I will always be painful
with her for that, with Santana and of course with
Naya and with the show. Also wanted to say that
(05:01):
I am a singer now, a professional singer, and that's
because of Glee. In one way or another. I will
be forever thankful with you guys for changing my life.
Speaker 8 (05:14):
Hi.
Speaker 9 (05:15):
My name is Camilla. I am from New Jersey and
I'm also eighteen. I watched Glee this year in March,
and I quickly finished the seasons. I was obsessed, and
I was also obsessed with Santana.
Speaker 10 (05:27):
I quickly then searched.
Speaker 9 (05:29):
Up Nai Rivera and I found her book Sorry Not Sorry,
and that book completely changed my life. This year, I
was so lost and confused in life, and I didn't
know how to keep going on and figuring out my direction.
But there was this one quote that really changed my perspective.
And it goes being lazy, not doing anything with your life,
(05:51):
settling for less than your past, dwelling on every little
thing that goes wrong. That is not the way to live.
And if that offends you, well sorry not sorry. That's
funny because it did offend me. I was like, I'm
being lazy and I'm not doing anything, and she brought
that confidence back into me. So I would love to
say thank you. I love Noya Hi, I am Ava.
Speaker 11 (06:12):
And my favorite Naya Santana moment is in season two,
episode two of Believe Britney Slash Brittany. First of all,
the episode is so vague. All the songs eight, but
the Santana and Britney duett of me against the music.
I'm never gonna get over. It's my whole personality. I
talk about it all the time on Twitter and it's
also my phone case cover. There's an app where you
can see like top streamers of things, and I'm the
(06:34):
number one listener in the world. It's in my veins.
It really is in my veins. I have like twelve
tisand listening minutes of it. I'm addicted to it. It's
a great cover. I think everyone should like the song,
just not as much as me because it is my cover.
Speaker 12 (06:46):
Hey guys, I'm Maria. I'm twenty six years old. I
live in Karachi, Pakistan, and I have been a Gleek
for the better part of my life, literally since I
was twelve years old. And the first scene I ever
saw of Glee was when Santana says to Sam and
season two, Sam evans, you were be malicious. And that
was the day that I became completely obsessed with Santana
Lopez and Nia Rivera, so much so that in my
(07:09):
senior year, the junior class had to give brown titles
to all of the senior graduating classmen, and my senior
title was Santana Lopez because it wasn't enough for me
to just admire her. I wanted to be her. I
wanted to be as much like her as possible. I
would dress like her, walk like her, talk like her.
I would try to match pitch with her vocals, which
was impossible to do because she's insanely talented. And I
(07:32):
just have so much respect for her. She shaped so
much of my personality. I still think about her all
the time and how I wouldn't even have half the
confidence that she gave me from the time that I
would try to be like her, the way that I
grew into my confidence because of me mimicking Santana and
Naya in there, just the way that they were. And Yeah,
(07:55):
I just wanted to share that that was what Santana
and Nil meant to me. Just meant everything to me
as a teenager growing up, and even everything to me now.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I still look up to her so much.
Speaker 13 (08:11):
Hey guys, this is Brandy, and I just wanted to
say that I remember when I could not stand Santana
in season one.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
I did not like her.
Speaker 13 (08:21):
I was like, she's so mean, she's got a nasty attitude,
and I was a Mercedes stan So when they did
the Boys mine and she pushed her. I was like, oh,
hell nah, I am so glad the writers decided to
xnay that and make them become besties, because once Santana
got more screen time and I heard her sing, I
was like, Oh, she's undeniable.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I gotta love her.
Speaker 13 (08:42):
I can't not love her like I remember hearing Nutbush
City Limits and just putting that on full blast, sorry
for cussing, and just lipsticking to it in my room.
And if I were.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To ever be on drag Race, that.
Speaker 13 (08:56):
Version of Nutbush City Limits, all respect to Miss Tea,
that version Santana's version would be my song of choice
to lip sync too, if I was ever gonna do dry.
So rest in peace, Tenaya. We love you amazing talent,
and we still miss you to this day. And I
love you guys, and I love this podcast much love.
Speaker 14 (09:20):
Hi Jena, Hi Kevin.
Speaker 15 (09:22):
I'm Filica and I'm from Italy, and my favorite Naya
slash Santana moment is like the whole Glee three D
concert movie, because I think that you can tell that
it was actually Naya just having fun with you guys
and not only portraying Santana's rule. So I like to
(09:45):
remember her that way and whenever I'm sad, I just
rewatched the movie and I like to think that wherever
she is, she's happy like that every day. Sorry, I
get a little bit emotional.
Speaker 16 (10:00):
No, but just Naya and Santana I.
Speaker 15 (10:03):
Mean so much in my life. So thank you for
doing this episode.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin.
Speaker 17 (10:17):
So this is kind of specific, but there's old clips
from your old podcast when you had Nya and Heather
on and you guys were playing games with them and
like quizzing them on whose character said what, and Nya
and Heather are just so in sync, like you can
really see how genuine and I mean you guys with
(10:40):
Nya too, like she's so quick, she's so witty, and
you can see in the episode you guys really care
about each other so much and your relationship is so genuine.
And I think, just especially again with Heather, watching them
really made me think of like my best friend, and
I can't imagine what.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
It was like for you guys to go through that.
Speaker 17 (10:58):
So I just think those clips are really special, and those,
among all the other media you guys have with her,
really just show how amazing the relationship you had with her.
Is and you guys really were genuinely best friends, and
I don't know, I think that's really amazing.
Speaker 18 (11:16):
I just reread Nia's book and she talked about Kevin
and it and said that right when you guys met,
she knew that you would be best friends.
Speaker 10 (11:23):
And I'm sure that.
Speaker 18 (11:25):
Kevin you knew that, and that she felt that way
with so many other people. And again, I'm just so
sorry for what you guys had to go through. Time
helps to heal, but nothing ever truly gets rid of grief,
and I hope that things have gotten easier for you
guys over the years.
Speaker 17 (11:42):
I know that obviously you'll never forget Nya. We as
fans will never forget Naya. Her legacy really does live on.
I love you guys. Your audience loves you so much.
And yeah, thank you for this podcast and you've really
brought so many people so much joy with its.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
So we love you guys.
Speaker 19 (12:01):
Hello. My name is Bea, and my favorite Nya slash
Santana moment was definitely when she signed songword. I love
that song. I've always loved that song and I felt
so seen by Santana because as a teen Leslie and
myself I was so.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Just touched.
Speaker 19 (12:25):
I knew exactly how she felt, and I'm not ashamed
to say I broke down in tears in front of
that TV. Naya was such a superstar and she was
so happy to play a character that so many people
felt seen by. And I think that seeing someone like
me on the TV show as popular as Glee truly
(12:46):
gave me confidence to admit who I am. Thank you,
Bye bye.
Speaker 20 (12:53):
Hi.
Speaker 16 (12:53):
My name is Isabella. I'm fifteen years old and I'm
from Spain. One of my favorite scenes of Naya a
Santena Lopez, when she comes at to her grandmother. Her
whole story with her sexuality, really helped me understand myself
better and accept who I am, and I know many
other queer teenagers felt the same way. Another scene that
means a lot to me is her performance of If
(13:14):
I Die Young, because you can feel the raw emotion
in her voice and it's one of the most heartbreaking
yet beautiful moments in the show. Naya will always be
remembered as someone who made people like me and so
many others feel understood. I wish she was here to
see how much she means to us and how much
we love her and miss her, Naya, you really made
a change in me and I'll never forget you.
Speaker 21 (13:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 22 (13:41):
Hell no, guys, I'm Chilitte from Germany, and I thought
I'm going to keep it a bit more light and
fun because my favorite moment or something I will always
remember probably is definitely the me against the music performance
you did with Heather. Now looking back, I can say
it was definitely my gay awakening. I used to watch
it a billion times. I was so obsessed. I showed
(14:03):
it to everybody. I listened to the song all the time.
I was so into it. So yeah, little me should
have definitely known. But you know, it's a fun little
memory I have every time I see it. I still
I love it. Every time I see it. It makes me smile,
it makes me laugh. It's just a fun thing to remember.
And yeah, I'm thankful for it somehow. And I love Naya.
(14:24):
I'm with my girlfriend because of her, so I can't
even start to explain how thankful I am for her.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
But yeah, I love her.
Speaker 23 (14:32):
I will always.
Speaker 22 (14:32):
Remember her, always keep her in my heart. And I'm
thankful for you guys podcast. I love you, guys, and
I'm setting big Hag from Germany.
Speaker 14 (14:39):
By Hi everyone. My name is Marina and I'm from Brazil.
There are countless beautiful and unforgettable moments Naya Hiveda gave
a some glee. Her voice, her presence absolutely iconic. But
beyond the screen, what she and Header created through Santana
and Brittany became something mo much bigger. They became muses,
(15:03):
literally inspiring over ten thousand fan fiction stories, and that
proves how deep their impact was. Naya's courage and brilliance
and portraying a queer character gave birth to worlds. In
these stories. Santana and Brittany grow all together, raise kids,
(15:23):
survived the Holocaust, rural kingdoms, serve side by side in
the military, even love each other in post apocalyptic worlds.
And through it all, they never stopped choosing one another.
And the beauty is these aren't chest stories. They are powerful,
emotional masterpieces of love, the kind of stories that stay
(15:46):
with you, that break and heal you at the same time,
that hitt straight into the heart of so many readers.
For so many queer women, those stories became a safe place.
They allowed us to imagine ourselves loved, sing and full
of life. Naya was the catalyst for all of that.
(16:07):
Her legacy leaves not only on screen, but in every
single word written and read for nearly fifteen years by
those who found healing, courage, and joy through Santana. Lopus
like Santana and Brittany's love, like Glee itself, this will
never disappear. It's forever. Thank you, Naya.
Speaker 24 (16:28):
Hi there.
Speaker 20 (16:29):
My name is Floor and I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Santana was such an important part of my life and
of my coming out story, and I'm deeply grateful that
I got to go through that stage of my life
looking up to Santana and Naya.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
It's just it's really hard toise just.
Speaker 20 (16:45):
One moment out of so many, but one that had
like a really big impact on me was the scene
where Santenna comes out to Arabuella. Back then, my English
wasn't very good, but I memorized that whole scene and
I still remember it in detail. Even when I didn't
yet have the courage to say something like that to
my own family or friends, I would repeat it to
(17:06):
myself internally just to try to feel stronger. Santana's bravery
and her endless love for Brittany gave me the strength
to accept who I am and to live a free
and happy life. I will forever be thankful for having
Santana in my life and for everything Nia gave us
through her.
Speaker 25 (17:25):
Hi. My name is Cassidy, and I want to start
by saying that Santana was the first lesbian character that
I ever saw on TV, and she played a very
important role in my acceptance of my own sexuality when
I was a teenager. Well, every Santana performance is incredible.
What the World Needs Now is one of my favorite episodes.
(17:46):
She sings Alfie, which is one of my favorite solos
of hers, and after that song is such a beautiful
scene between Santana, Brittany, and Santana's abuela. Seeing Santana's growth
and acceptance of her own sexuality and seeing her be
so open about her relationship with Brittany and holding Brittany's
hand in front of her a boiler even when her
a boiler doesn't accept her, is so beautiful and meaningful
(18:10):
to me.
Speaker 8 (18:11):
Hi, Kevin, and Jenna, this is ed thank you for
giving us the chance to share some things so close
to our hearts. For me, one of the most unforgettable
NIA moments will always be rumor has it someone like you?
The way Santana's story and emotions came through in that
performance was breathtaking. It wasn't just about the song, it
(18:31):
was about her strength and vulnerability all at once. But
beyond any single performance, what I'll always carry with me
is how Nia brought Santana to life with so much honesty,
humor and love. She made me and so many others
feel seen. That impact will never fade and I'm so
(18:54):
grateful for it. Thank you for on On.
Speaker 26 (19:01):
Hey Kevin, Hey Jenna. My name is Jack Big Hello
from Ireland. I am such a huge fan of this
podcast and I'm so sad that it's coming to an end.
But yeah, so favorite NYR performance. This one is very
underrated and I feel like underappreciated. It's Don't Rain in
My Parade, the Santana version. I am obsessed with this performance.
(19:26):
Every single time I watch it, it gives me goosebumps.
I just think kind of like Santana's entrance, how she
like moves on the stage, like her vocals in it.
I'm obsessed now. I love love this performance and yeah, no,
thank you so much for this podcast. And also I
feel like for honoring Naya. Having kind of the cast
(19:48):
and crew on how they've talked about Naya, I feel
like you get such a good sense of the incredible
person she was. So thank you so much for this
and thank you for this podcast.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Bye.
Speaker 27 (20:00):
Hi guys. My name is Faisa and I'm thirty years old.
I'm from Friends, and I would like to share with
you guys a memori DA have from Naya. It's the naiadents.
I used to love it when she was doing the
Naia dance everywhere, even in some Glee episodes. When she
was performing it was such acute and funny little move.
It was like her signature move. She was such a
(20:24):
beautiful and amazing soul. And she's so so so loved
everywhere in the world, and she's really really missed, and
I just want to thank you guys for remembering her
in every possible all the time. We really love you, guys,
and I sent you a lot of kisses from friends bye.
Speaker 28 (20:43):
Like Kevin and Anganna, it's your friend, Emily. I would
have to say that my favorite Naya moment would have
to be the moment during rumor has it someone like you,
when all of a sudden there is a small break
(21:04):
in the silence and Nia looks over at Heather and
she just.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Has this ah.
Speaker 28 (21:13):
I don't know how to explain it, just this incredible
acting moment that just took my breath away. And just
from a look, that's how powerful she was. Of an
actress that literally one glance at someone in the right way,
I was everything and it was just it. It literally
(21:35):
took my breath away the first time I saw it
and continues to every time I see it.
Speaker 29 (21:39):
So thank you.
Speaker 28 (21:41):
For remembering her and all of the beautiful, beautiful things
that she did.
Speaker 30 (21:48):
Hello.
Speaker 31 (21:48):
My name is JOHNA. Garcia. I'm from McCallen, Texas. Santana
was and continues to be my favorite character. Only My
favorite performance of hers was her rendition of Mine by
Taylor Swift. She made it her own and I'm a
huge swiftye and I still prefer her version of it.
I love how it was in the moment performance. I
was expecting a montage or a duet, or for them
(22:09):
to start walking around the school, but the fact it
was just Santana being vulnerable to Brittany and laying it
all out there made the performance even more impactful. I
love her and I always will. I remember where I
was when I got the news that she passed away,
and I was just gutted, and I'm just very grateful
(22:29):
that I got to experience what she was on screen.
Speaker 8 (22:36):
It was just so.
Speaker 31 (22:39):
Beautiful, and you know, obviously I didn't know her, but
the way she connected it was just with the audience
was just amazing.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Hi, this is Jula Boderoni. I'm a singer and songwriter
from Brazil. All I wanted to point out that Naya
as Santana rocked my little gay world as a teenager.
It was like my whole personality. I never really quite
liked the idea I was sold on life, but then
I met Brittany in Santana and I was like.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I can do that.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Okay, let's do that. I liked that way better and
it changed my life. But I remember this one specific moment.
I was on my couch watching Glee, my mom right
next to me, and Santana was coming out to Walita
on season three. Walita's reaction was not great, and my
mom got pissed at her, like renting about how she
should have been more supportive, how she was awful. You
(23:37):
don't do that to your child, and so on and
so on, and I felt so good. I don't know hopeful,
I guess, I don't know the name of that feeling,
but I felt awesome. I didn't do anything right then,
like come out or anything, but I never forgot that moment,
never forgot that feeling, and I still love and miss
Naya to this day.
Speaker 32 (23:56):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin. My name is Isaac. I'm from Scotland.
First of all, i just want to say I'm a
huge fan of the podcast and of Glee. I really
loved the fan tribute episode that you guys did for Corey.
I'm really happy that these are doing one for Naya
as well. My personal favorite Naya or Santana performance is
from season four episode for the Breakup, when she sings
(24:19):
Mine to Brittany. Something about that song just it gets
me every single time I listen to it constantly. It's
one of my top most played Glee songs ever. I
just think it's absolutely beautiful, the storytelling that she can do.
For her voice, She's just such a powerhouse vocally and obviously,
(24:42):
as you guys know, an incredible actress. And that's one
of my personal favorite songs ever on the show.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Hello, my Name is Laurel.
Speaker 30 (24:52):
I had been a huge Glee fan for a very
long time. And Nia's character, I mean, she changed the
game for me, and I can speak for so many
of us queer women and lesbians that she Yeah, she
really changed it for so many of us. But what
I really appreciated about her character even more is that
(25:12):
although she was queer and she had this coming out story,
there was so much more to her and that wasn't
her only obstacle in life, you know it. One of
my favorite moments is when she sings Girl on Fire
in season four, and it's this kind of new Santana,
this confidence Santana, and you know she's overcoming these obstacles.
Speaker 8 (25:32):
She's chasing her dreams.
Speaker 30 (25:33):
It has nothing to do with her being queer. It's
not holding her back. It's never held her back. And
I don't know, just something about that solo. The vocals
are not only incredible, but just the whole performance, it
just it really really stuck with me. That was just incredible.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
She's incredible.
Speaker 29 (25:51):
What's of guys. My name is Aetie. I'm from Brazil
and it's very hard talking about nayacause I love her
and Santeli's my favorite character in Lee, but I just
have to say, thinking Naya for give life to a
character who made me feel like I wedd inside is
(26:12):
serious and I love Naya and he's her And of
course my favorite My favorite song is Valerie and it
is bye guys.
Speaker 33 (26:27):
Hey, guys, this is Holly from Ohio. Naya was a
precious jump taken far too soon from us. Her infectious
laugh and smile are forever ingrained in my mind, and
I know that she the talk guys start having endless
fiestas up there. Also. Don't ask me why, but I
can pitch you the boys wearing the ponchos and sobras
(26:48):
from season three in her saying they both looked ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I don't know why, but I just can.
Speaker 33 (26:55):
My favorite ballads over by Naya are ALFI Songbirden here
comes the song where she do with Dummy. Glee gets
harder and harder to watch these days, knowing we're missing people,
but the podcasts been so therapeutter for me and I
will forever be grateful for I hope it continues just
(27:15):
a little bit longer. Thanks guys, love you all.
Speaker 22 (27:18):
We miss Naya.
Speaker 34 (27:19):
Guys, Hi, Kevin and Jenna I'm Kia and Avid Gleek
from the Philippines. Santana is one of my favorite characters
on Glee and one of my favorite Naire performances and
Glee performance overall. That never fails to make me cry
is her acoustic version of Mine, which also has a
(27:41):
very deep and special meaning for me. I've also experienced
quite difficult losses in my life, and her voice always
felt like the warmest hug amidst these difficult times. Santana
and Naya definitely stood out, and I really hope the
(28:01):
world got to see more of her amazing talent. Thank you, guys,
and I hope you continue the podcast. Sending love from
the Philippinines.
Speaker 35 (28:11):
My name is Kayla and I've been a fan of
Glee since two thousand and nine. Back when the show premiered,
I was in sixth grade. By the time it had ended,
I was a junior in high school. And my favorite
Santana moment from the show is was hearing Nia sing
Songbird for the first time. It brought tears to my
eyes for multiple reasons. One because it sounded absolutely gorgeous,
(28:36):
and two because I was struggling with my sexuality at
the time, and watching Santana come to grips with her
sexuality helped me come to grips with mine, and that
character helped a generation of young queer girls try to
figure out who they were. And I don't think that
(28:58):
we would have a lot of shows, a lot of characters,
or a lot of artists that are loud, proud and
queer without Santana Lopez. So I will forever be grateful
for the character and for Nia Rivera.
Speaker 10 (29:11):
My name is Laura, I'm twenty nine, and I live
in Asheville, North Carolina. Nia was the only celebrity that
I almost sent a letter to and I chickened out,
so I'm hoping that this can make up for that.
But her portrayal of Santana, handled with such love and
(29:35):
grace and care, was the first time that I, as
a closeted young lesbian, ever felt seen where I could
see myself in something. And she really helped the trajectory
of my life and because of her, and it's really
(29:57):
poignant that you guys would be putting out this call today.
I'm actually getting married today and thinking about that and reflecting.
I think she has a lot to do with how
comfortable I am with myself now.
Speaker 21 (30:11):
Hi, I'm frances a twenty one year old lesbian from
the Philippines. As a whole, I credit Nia's portrayal of
Santana as life changing to me and an invaluable part
of my discovery and acceptance of my sexuality. But if
I had to choose a specific scene that stayed with me,
it was Santana's coming out scene to her umbrella. I
struggle to express what Nia's performance in this scene meant
(30:32):
to a lost, eleven year old me full of self
loathing and internal homophobia. It was so incredibly raw and beautiful.
Hearing her say I love girls the way I'm supposed
to feel about boys and describe her love for Brittany
along with her struggles with herself, made me feel truly
seen for the first time in my life. It forced
me to realize that this is really who I am,
(30:52):
but that maybe it could be okay because this strong, funny,
amazing character was the same. Today, I am full of
nothing but love and pride for who I am, and
I will always thank Nia for being a foundation in
reaching this point. Without any exaggeration, whatsoever, Nia and Santana
shaped my life.
Speaker 10 (31:11):
Martha from Connecticut.
Speaker 36 (31:12):
Here Nia had such a profound impact on me, not
only because I was a millennial in high school during
the peak of the show, but because Santana's coming out
storyline mirrored my own. I was in boarding school and
we didn't really have TVs, so we would watch episodes
on iTunes a week after the episodes premiered. So I
(31:32):
remember when rumors came out. It was my senior spring.
I had just come out to my own family as
gay and was experiencing backlash, and sitting in the dorm
room watching the performance of Landslide with my friends just
caused me to ball my eyes out.
Speaker 29 (31:49):
I was so.
Speaker 36 (31:51):
Impacted by the anger that Nya brought to that performance,
but also the layers of insecurity and tenderness, and just
so grateful for a representation that wasn't there before and
that will always stick with me, even all these years later.
Nia's greatly greatly missed.
Speaker 37 (32:10):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin. My name's Maya and I'm sixteen
years old. I've only recently gotten into Glee, and right
from the very beginning, Santana Lopez was my favorite character.
I mean, there's so much to love about her, her humor,
her smile, her laugh, and I think all of that
came from Nia, and that's truly why she was my
favorite character. Her voice is incredible. Some of her best
(32:31):
songs were come See About Me Anything that she covered
by Amy Winehouse and the iconic Don't Rain on My Parade.
Santana Lopez truly carried the show on her back like
she was incredible. I loved reading Nya's autobiography. I think
it was fantastic to just learn more about her acting
career and how she came to be you know, Nia
(32:53):
or Vera. She truly, even though she's gone, she will
always be a light to so many people. She's been
such a light in my life and her legacy will
live on forever, and I just want to say thank
you for honoring her.
Speaker 38 (33:06):
Hi, Kevin and Jenna. My name's Kira. And to say
that Nia made a big impact in my life is
such an understatement, as I can't really find the words
to describe what she's done for me in my life,
whether it's just Niah herself, or her role of Santana
Lopez or her role of Collette Jones. And as Nia
said on Heather's podcast The Dance Room, a couple of
(33:29):
years ago. One thing she admired about herself was her
telet like It Is attitude, And I can proudly say
that I finally have found my voice and found my
telet like it Is attitude, as I'm not afraid to
voice my opinion on a matter that I feel very
passionately about. I'm not afraid to stand up for myself.
(33:49):
Though I tend to go a bit overboard every single time,
I have no regrets, and I finally have found the
confidence to post my singing and funny enough, I did
post a small snippet of Constant Cravings sung by Maya
on season three of Glee.
Speaker 39 (34:04):
Hi my Name is Lyla. My favorite Santana slash naia
A moment is when she's saying if I die own
Corey slash Finn memorial episode. I love that you can
hear all the emotion her voice, and I think she
did a beautiful job covering that song. I loved her,
and I love you guys too and your podcast.
Speaker 40 (34:21):
Hi my name is Sophia. I wanted to talk about
the impact that Naya had all my life and also
some of my favorite moments of hers. I found Glee
in twenty twenty one, and ever since then, I've been obsessed,
especially with Nya's character Santana. I'm a Latina lesbian and
seeing someone on screen who looked like me that I
could relate to on such a unique level gave me
a confidence I'd never felt before. Santana and I are
(34:44):
one of the main reasons I felt okay to come
out to my parents. One of my favorite Santana moments
for me will always be when she came out to Herouilla.
Her words hit so close to home for me and
I finally felt understood. Nia herself has also inspired me
so much. The fact that she encouraged Santana to be
in love with Brittany so that people would feel represented
(35:05):
makes me want to work in the film industry to
do just that help people feel seen. At the end
of the day, now, I always stress the importance of
loving yourself, and that message will always stick with me.
Something I admired about Nya was her confidence, and I
would say one of my favorite moments of hers was
definitely her lip sync battle performance.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
She was such a badass.
Speaker 41 (35:26):
Hi Kevin and Vienna. This is Chantelle aka Late Bloomer
Gleek One of my favorite things about Nya is her smile.
She has a smile that can light up a room,
and every time you see her smile on screen, you
can't help but smile yourself. Another favorite of mine is
(35:50):
her comebacks, specifically the one where you guys took the
dental tablets and already goes, I made better at brushing
and flossing if I could see myself in the mirror,
and she goes, there you go, blue tooth. It gets
me every time I can't help but burst into laughter.
(36:14):
I love you guys, Thank you for doing the podcast.
Speaker 15 (36:17):
Bye.
Speaker 20 (36:18):
Hi.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
My name is Nikki. I'm a seventeen year old cliak
from the Netherlands. I love you Kevin and Jenna on
your podcast. I'm really excited for spelling Bee. My favorite
Naya moment isn't actually from the show, but it's from
your podcast. There's a short clip online from an episode
you did with both Naya and Heather in which you
willcall the moment Naya and Jenna met Beyonce in the bathrooms,
(36:39):
and I absolutely loved how care free the moment seemed
and how it really just looked like a bunch of
old friends catching up, Especially the moment where Kevin imitates
Beyonce and is like, who told me that? And everyone
just breaks into giggles. It's a beautiful moment and I
love to rewatch it whenever I want to remember Naya.
Speaker 34 (36:55):
That was all.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Thank you guys so much for listening. Have a great day.
Speaker 42 (36:59):
My favorite at Naya memory is hands down. I'm like
thirteen twelve, I don't know. I'm on the top bunk
of my childhood bed. My little sister is underneath, and
she's got Glee on, and I'm like, oh, gay whatever,
that's so lame. I'm gay, so internalized. Right on comes
(37:21):
the episode Born this Way.
Speaker 13 (37:24):
You know.
Speaker 42 (37:24):
It's showing all of the classmates, the people in Glee
club happily singing about how they're proud to be who
they are, and it pans to Santana in her Lebanese
T shirt next to her beard, and it was literally
like the camera had turned on me, was filming me
on my bunk bed moaning to my little sister, saying
(37:45):
that I didn't want to watch Glee because it was gay. Meanwhile,
I'm a massive gay. In that moment, I felt less alone,
and no one could have played Santana like Naya. I
think about Santana all the time and about how she
helped me become the confident lesbian that I am today.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Wow.
Speaker 24 (38:08):
Hey there. My name is Nick and I'm a special
education teacher in Texas and I love that y'all are
asking people to send in their favorite Santana moments because
I believe there is one in particular that stands out
above the rest, and that is when Santana comes barging
through the doors, belting out Rachel Berry's signature song Don't
(38:29):
Rain on My Parade while auditioning to be her understudy
and funny Girl, because Rachel had just discounted her and
kind of told her, you know, you're not good enough.
Speaker 29 (38:40):
What are you doing with your life?
Speaker 24 (38:42):
And for Santana to take the reins and out do
Rachel on her own song.
Speaker 29 (38:47):
Is just so good.
Speaker 24 (38:52):
Anytime I'm in a bad mood, I can watch that
and it makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
Absolutely amazing and perfectly portrayed by Naia Rivera is something
I'll never forget because I still watch it at least
once a week.
Speaker 23 (39:06):
Hi guys, my name is Sylvia Garcia and I'm from
a Tico city so really, my English is not that good.
He's my favorite TV show in the whole world, and
actually Santanelopez is my favorite character, so thank you for
doing this. My favorite scene of Santana Lopez it's when
she came out as a lesbian because it has a
(39:27):
lot of meaning for the people and for me personally.
And my favorite performance of her it's obviously mine because
it's a beautiful song and when I sing it, it's
most beautiful. So yeah, it's one of my favorite memories
of her. So thank you, Nayeah. We still love you.
(39:49):
We're still thinking about you and your legacy. It is
never over. So thank you guys.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to
record and share your love for Nya with us and
with everybody who listens to this podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Your stories reminded us how far her talent and light
and power reached and how deeply she's missed. We're just
so grateful that we got to celebrate her with all
of you. We love you, Naya and that's where you
really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram
at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure
to write us a review and leave US five Stars,
(40:27):
See you next time.
And that's what you really missed With Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Podcast, Welcome to you, and that's what you really missed.
We are back with our Naia tribute and this time
we are hearing directly from you.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
So many of you sent in the most beautiful, heartfelt
memories of Naya and what her portrayal Santana meant to you.
So thank you, thank you so much for that.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And obviously we wanted to give you guys the space
to share your thoughts after last week sharing all of
our wonderful thoughts about Nya. So this episode is for
all of you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Hello everyone, It's Sands, Breadsticks or Abby. I'm here to
talk about the lovely, the beautiful, the majestic, the funny,
the smart, amazing Nia Rivera, whereas cannot describe or encapsulate
how much I love this woman and how much she
means to me, how much she has changed my life,
(00:54):
her as herself, her playing Santana, and what back has
done for me. There are not enough thank yous that
I can say to her that I wish I got
to say to her, and that I hope she can
hear now, because she has changed my life forever. Something
about her that was really special to me was just
(01:16):
how funny she was, whether it was in behind the
scenes videos, whenever she came on a podcast like Showman
to the Dance Room, her interviews, her book.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Girl was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It was something that I was so obsessed with because
how can someone be this funny? And something else that
has really stuck with me and all the anecdotes and
stories about her, was just how kind she was and
also how she stood for what she believed in. Nothing
was going to shake her. She was going to say
what she felt was right at the time, and she
was going to stick up for the underdog. And as
(01:50):
a younger person, hearing that inspired me to do the same.
As raumatic as it sounds, I would not be the
person I am today without her, and I'm eternally grateful.
I hope wherever she is that she can hear these
beautiful voice notes, and I hope that she feels the
love that she deserves. She's truly one of a kind,
one of my favorite people to ever exist on this earth,
(02:12):
and I miss her every day and I think about
her every day, and I wonder would she have liked
this movie, which she had liked this album and she's
just with me everywhere I go. Naya, I love you.
I hope you can hear this. We all miss you
and we love you. I also just wanted to clock
back in and say a quick thank you to Kevin
and Jenna for allowing us to have the space to
talk about Nya and Corey and the show that means
(02:35):
so much to us. I'm sure it can be difficult
at times to talk about all these things, but I
know that so many people really appreciate having the space
to do so.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
So thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Bye, Hi, Jenna and Kevin.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
My name is Ari. I'm twenty years old, and despite
being a little young for Glee, I grew up watching
Glee with my older cousin since the first season, so
I'm definitely an og gleek and Nya and Santana were
so special to me growing up coming into my sexuality
(03:17):
as a lesbian.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
I remember.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
Always knowing that I liked women, and it was really
because of Nya and seeing how unashamed Santana was in
it when she did come out, and also how eager
Santana was to or how eager Naya was to play
Santana and be such an intricate part in the LGBTQ community,
(03:45):
especially for lesbian so honestly, just her entire existence, like,
I love her and I miss her so much.
Speaker 7 (03:50):
Hi Kevin, Hi Jena. I'm Juanita Martinez. I'm from Colombia.
But with that specifically, I'm twenty five years old and
I've been a fan of Glee since i was ten
years old. A core memory there that I have of
Naya is when she told her grandma that she was
(04:15):
a lesbian. I felt seen in a way. I was
just ten years old, but I felt that she kind
of represented me. I didn't know at the time that
I really like girls, but but she made me realize
(04:37):
in one way or another that people like her, people
like me existed, And that was a very like cracking
moment of my life. And I will always be painful
with her for that, with Santana and of course with
Naya and with the show. Also wanted to say that
(05:01):
I am a singer now, a professional singer, and that's
because of Glee. In one way or another. I will
be forever thankful with you guys for changing my life.
Speaker 8 (05:14):
Hi.
Speaker 9 (05:15):
My name is Camilla. I am from New Jersey and
I'm also eighteen. I watched Glee this year in March,
and I quickly finished the seasons. I was obsessed, and
I was also obsessed with Santana.
Speaker 10 (05:27):
I quickly then searched.
Speaker 9 (05:29):
Up Nai Rivera and I found her book Sorry Not Sorry,
and that book completely changed my life. This year, I
was so lost and confused in life, and I didn't
know how to keep going on and figuring out my direction.
But there was this one quote that really changed my perspective.
And it goes being lazy, not doing anything with your life,
(05:51):
settling for less than your past, dwelling on every little
thing that goes wrong. That is not the way to live.
And if that offends you, well sorry not sorry. That's
funny because it did offend me. I was like, I'm
being lazy and I'm not doing anything, and she brought
that confidence back into me. So I would love to
say thank you. I love Noya Hi, I am Ava.
Speaker 11 (06:12):
And my favorite Naya Santana moment is in season two,
episode two of Believe Britney Slash Brittany. First of all,
the episode is so vague. All the songs eight, but
the Santana and Britney duett of me against the music.
I'm never gonna get over. It's my whole personality. I
talk about it all the time on Twitter and it's
also my phone case cover. There's an app where you
can see like top streamers of things, and I'm the
(06:34):
number one listener in the world. It's in my veins.
It really is in my veins. I have like twelve
tisand listening minutes of it. I'm addicted to it. It's
a great cover. I think everyone should like the song,
just not as much as me because it is my cover.
Speaker 12 (06:46):
Hey guys, I'm Maria. I'm twenty six years old. I
live in Karachi, Pakistan, and I have been a Gleek
for the better part of my life, literally since I
was twelve years old. And the first scene I ever
saw of Glee was when Santana says to Sam and
season two, Sam evans, you were be malicious. And that
was the day that I became completely obsessed with Santana
Lopez and Nia Rivera, so much so that in my
(07:09):
senior year, the junior class had to give brown titles
to all of the senior graduating classmen, and my senior
title was Santana Lopez because it wasn't enough for me
to just admire her. I wanted to be her. I
wanted to be as much like her as possible. I
would dress like her, walk like her, talk like her.
I would try to match pitch with her vocals, which
was impossible to do because she's insanely talented. And I
(07:32):
just have so much respect for her. She shaped so
much of my personality. I still think about her all
the time and how I wouldn't even have half the
confidence that she gave me from the time that I
would try to be like her, the way that I
grew into my confidence because of me mimicking Santana and
Naya in there, just the way that they were. And Yeah,
(07:55):
I just wanted to share that that was what Santana
and Nil meant to me. Just meant everything to me
as a teenager growing up, and even everything to me now.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I still look up to her so much.
Speaker 13 (08:11):
Hey guys, this is Brandy, and I just wanted to
say that I remember when I could not stand Santana
in season one.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
I did not like her.
Speaker 13 (08:21):
I was like, she's so mean, she's got a nasty attitude,
and I was a Mercedes stan So when they did
the Boys mine and she pushed her. I was like, oh,
hell nah, I am so glad the writers decided to
xnay that and make them become besties, because once Santana
got more screen time and I heard her sing, I
was like, Oh, she's undeniable.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I gotta love her.
Speaker 13 (08:42):
I can't not love her like I remember hearing Nutbush
City Limits and just putting that on full blast, sorry
for cussing, and just lipsticking to it in my room.
And if I were.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To ever be on drag Race, that.
Speaker 13 (08:56):
Version of Nutbush City Limits, all respect to Miss Tea,
that version Santana's version would be my song of choice
to lip sync too, if I was ever gonna do dry.
So rest in peace, Tenaya. We love you amazing talent,
and we still miss you to this day. And I
love you guys, and I love this podcast much love.
Speaker 14 (09:20):
Hi Jena, Hi Kevin.
Speaker 15 (09:22):
I'm Filica and I'm from Italy, and my favorite Naya
slash Santana moment is like the whole Glee three D
concert movie, because I think that you can tell that
it was actually Naya just having fun with you guys
and not only portraying Santana's rule. So I like to
(09:45):
remember her that way and whenever I'm sad, I just
rewatched the movie and I like to think that wherever
she is, she's happy like that every day. Sorry, I
get a little bit emotional.
Speaker 16 (10:00):
No, but just Naya and Santana I.
Speaker 15 (10:03):
Mean so much in my life. So thank you for
doing this episode.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin.
Speaker 17 (10:17):
So this is kind of specific, but there's old clips
from your old podcast when you had Nya and Heather
on and you guys were playing games with them and
like quizzing them on whose character said what, and Nya
and Heather are just so in sync, like you can
really see how genuine and I mean you guys with
(10:40):
Nya too, like she's so quick, she's so witty, and
you can see in the episode you guys really care
about each other so much and your relationship is so genuine.
And I think, just especially again with Heather, watching them
really made me think of like my best friend, and
I can't imagine what.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
It was like for you guys to go through that.
Speaker 17 (10:58):
So I just think those clips are really special, and those,
among all the other media you guys have with her,
really just show how amazing the relationship you had with her.
Is and you guys really were genuinely best friends, and
I don't know, I think that's really amazing.
Speaker 18 (11:16):
I just reread Nia's book and she talked about Kevin
and it and said that right when you guys met,
she knew that you would be best friends.
Speaker 10 (11:23):
And I'm sure that.
Speaker 18 (11:25):
Kevin you knew that, and that she felt that way
with so many other people. And again, I'm just so
sorry for what you guys had to go through. Time
helps to heal, but nothing ever truly gets rid of grief,
and I hope that things have gotten easier for you
guys over the years.
Speaker 17 (11:42):
I know that obviously you'll never forget Nya. We as
fans will never forget Naya. Her legacy really does live on.
I love you guys. Your audience loves you so much.
And yeah, thank you for this podcast and you've really
brought so many people so much joy with its.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
So we love you guys.
Speaker 19 (12:01):
Hello. My name is Bea, and my favorite Nya slash
Santana moment was definitely when she signed songword. I love
that song. I've always loved that song and I felt
so seen by Santana because as a teen Leslie and
myself I was so.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Just touched.
Speaker 19 (12:25):
I knew exactly how she felt, and I'm not ashamed
to say I broke down in tears in front of
that TV. Naya was such a superstar and she was
so happy to play a character that so many people
felt seen by. And I think that seeing someone like
me on the TV show as popular as Glee truly
(12:46):
gave me confidence to admit who I am. Thank you,
Bye bye.
Speaker 20 (12:53):
Hi.
Speaker 16 (12:53):
My name is Isabella. I'm fifteen years old and I'm
from Spain. One of my favorite scenes of Naya a
Santena Lopez, when she comes at to her grandmother. Her
whole story with her sexuality, really helped me understand myself
better and accept who I am, and I know many
other queer teenagers felt the same way. Another scene that
means a lot to me is her performance of If
(13:14):
I Die Young, because you can feel the raw emotion
in her voice and it's one of the most heartbreaking
yet beautiful moments in the show. Naya will always be
remembered as someone who made people like me and so
many others feel understood. I wish she was here to
see how much she means to us and how much
we love her and miss her, Naya, you really made
a change in me and I'll never forget you.
Speaker 21 (13:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 22 (13:41):
Hell no, guys, I'm Chilitte from Germany, and I thought
I'm going to keep it a bit more light and
fun because my favorite moment or something I will always
remember probably is definitely the me against the music performance
you did with Heather. Now looking back, I can say
it was definitely my gay awakening. I used to watch
it a billion times. I was so obsessed. I showed
(14:03):
it to everybody. I listened to the song all the time.
I was so into it. So yeah, little me should
have definitely known. But you know, it's a fun little
memory I have every time I see it. I still
I love it. Every time I see it. It makes me smile,
it makes me laugh. It's just a fun thing to remember.
And yeah, I'm thankful for it somehow. And I love Naya.
(14:24):
I'm with my girlfriend because of her, so I can't
even start to explain how thankful I am for her.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
But yeah, I love her.
Speaker 23 (14:32):
I will always.
Speaker 22 (14:32):
Remember her, always keep her in my heart. And I'm
thankful for you guys podcast. I love you, guys, and
I'm setting big Hag from Germany.
Speaker 14 (14:39):
By Hi everyone. My name is Marina and I'm from Brazil.
There are countless beautiful and unforgettable moments Naya Hiveda gave
a some glee. Her voice, her presence absolutely iconic. But
beyond the screen, what she and Header created through Santana
and Brittany became something mo much bigger. They became muses,
(15:03):
literally inspiring over ten thousand fan fiction stories, and that
proves how deep their impact was. Naya's courage and brilliance
and portraying a queer character gave birth to worlds. In
these stories. Santana and Brittany grow all together, raise kids,
(15:23):
survived the Holocaust, rural kingdoms, serve side by side in
the military, even love each other in post apocalyptic worlds.
And through it all, they never stopped choosing one another.
And the beauty is these aren't chest stories. They are powerful,
emotional masterpieces of love, the kind of stories that stay
(15:46):
with you, that break and heal you at the same time,
that hitt straight into the heart of so many readers.
For so many queer women, those stories became a safe place.
They allowed us to imagine ourselves loved, sing and full
of life. Naya was the catalyst for all of that.
(16:07):
Her legacy leaves not only on screen, but in every
single word written and read for nearly fifteen years by
those who found healing, courage, and joy through Santana. Lopus
like Santana and Brittany's love, like Glee itself, this will
never disappear. It's forever. Thank you, Naya.
Speaker 24 (16:28):
Hi there.
Speaker 20 (16:29):
My name is Floor and I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Santana was such an important part of my life and
of my coming out story, and I'm deeply grateful that
I got to go through that stage of my life
looking up to Santana and Naya.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
It's just it's really hard toise just.
Speaker 20 (16:45):
One moment out of so many, but one that had
like a really big impact on me was the scene
where Santenna comes out to Arabuella. Back then, my English
wasn't very good, but I memorized that whole scene and
I still remember it in detail. Even when I didn't
yet have the courage to say something like that to
my own family or friends, I would repeat it to
(17:06):
myself internally just to try to feel stronger. Santana's bravery
and her endless love for Brittany gave me the strength
to accept who I am and to live a free
and happy life. I will forever be thankful for having
Santana in my life and for everything Nia gave us
through her.
Speaker 25 (17:25):
Hi. My name is Cassidy, and I want to start
by saying that Santana was the first lesbian character that
I ever saw on TV, and she played a very
important role in my acceptance of my own sexuality when
I was a teenager. Well, every Santana performance is incredible.
What the World Needs Now is one of my favorite episodes.
(17:46):
She sings Alfie, which is one of my favorite solos
of hers, and after that song is such a beautiful
scene between Santana, Brittany, and Santana's abuela. Seeing Santana's growth
and acceptance of her own sexuality and seeing her be
so open about her relationship with Brittany and holding Brittany's
hand in front of her a boiler even when her
a boiler doesn't accept her, is so beautiful and meaningful
(18:10):
to me.
Speaker 8 (18:11):
Hi, Kevin, and Jenna, this is ed thank you for
giving us the chance to share some things so close
to our hearts. For me, one of the most unforgettable
NIA moments will always be rumor has it someone like you?
The way Santana's story and emotions came through in that
performance was breathtaking. It wasn't just about the song, it
(18:31):
was about her strength and vulnerability all at once. But
beyond any single performance, what I'll always carry with me
is how Nia brought Santana to life with so much honesty,
humor and love. She made me and so many others
feel seen. That impact will never fade and I'm so
(18:54):
grateful for it. Thank you for on On.
Speaker 26 (19:01):
Hey Kevin, Hey Jenna. My name is Jack Big Hello
from Ireland. I am such a huge fan of this
podcast and I'm so sad that it's coming to an end.
But yeah, so favorite NYR performance. This one is very
underrated and I feel like underappreciated. It's Don't Rain in
My Parade, the Santana version. I am obsessed with this performance.
(19:26):
Every single time I watch it, it gives me goosebumps.
I just think kind of like Santana's entrance, how she
like moves on the stage, like her vocals in it.
I'm obsessed now. I love love this performance and yeah, no,
thank you so much for this podcast. And also I
feel like for honoring Naya. Having kind of the cast
(19:48):
and crew on how they've talked about Naya, I feel
like you get such a good sense of the incredible
person she was. So thank you so much for this
and thank you for this podcast.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Bye.
Speaker 27 (20:00):
Hi guys. My name is Faisa and I'm thirty years old.
I'm from Friends, and I would like to share with
you guys a memori DA have from Naya. It's the naiadents.
I used to love it when she was doing the
Naia dance everywhere, even in some Glee episodes. When she
was performing it was such acute and funny little move.
It was like her signature move. She was such a
(20:24):
beautiful and amazing soul. And she's so so so loved
everywhere in the world, and she's really really missed, and
I just want to thank you guys for remembering her
in every possible all the time. We really love you, guys,
and I sent you a lot of kisses from friends bye.
Speaker 28 (20:43):
Like Kevin and Anganna, it's your friend, Emily. I would
have to say that my favorite Naya moment would have
to be the moment during rumor has it someone like you,
when all of a sudden there is a small break
(21:04):
in the silence and Nia looks over at Heather and
she just.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Has this ah.
Speaker 28 (21:13):
I don't know how to explain it, just this incredible
acting moment that just took my breath away. And just
from a look, that's how powerful she was. Of an
actress that literally one glance at someone in the right way,
I was everything and it was just it. It literally
(21:35):
took my breath away the first time I saw it
and continues to every time I see it.
Speaker 29 (21:39):
So thank you.
Speaker 28 (21:41):
For remembering her and all of the beautiful, beautiful things
that she did.
Speaker 30 (21:48):
Hello.
Speaker 31 (21:48):
My name is JOHNA. Garcia. I'm from McCallen, Texas. Santana
was and continues to be my favorite character. Only My
favorite performance of hers was her rendition of Mine by
Taylor Swift. She made it her own and I'm a
huge swiftye and I still prefer her version of it.
I love how it was in the moment performance. I
was expecting a montage or a duet, or for them
(22:09):
to start walking around the school, but the fact it
was just Santana being vulnerable to Brittany and laying it
all out there made the performance even more impactful. I
love her and I always will. I remember where I
was when I got the news that she passed away,
and I was just gutted, and I'm just very grateful
(22:29):
that I got to experience what she was on screen.
Speaker 8 (22:36):
It was just so.
Speaker 31 (22:39):
Beautiful, and you know, obviously I didn't know her, but
the way she connected it was just with the audience
was just amazing.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Hi, this is Jula Boderoni. I'm a singer and songwriter
from Brazil. All I wanted to point out that Naya
as Santana rocked my little gay world as a teenager.
It was like my whole personality. I never really quite
liked the idea I was sold on life, but then
I met Brittany in Santana and I was like.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I can do that.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Okay, let's do that. I liked that way better and
it changed my life. But I remember this one specific moment.
I was on my couch watching Glee, my mom right
next to me, and Santana was coming out to Walita
on season three. Walita's reaction was not great, and my
mom got pissed at her, like renting about how she
should have been more supportive, how she was awful. You
(23:37):
don't do that to your child, and so on and
so on, and I felt so good. I don't know hopeful,
I guess, I don't know the name of that feeling,
but I felt awesome. I didn't do anything right then,
like come out or anything, but I never forgot that moment,
never forgot that feeling, and I still love and miss
Naya to this day.
Speaker 32 (23:56):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin. My name is Isaac. I'm from Scotland.
First of all, i just want to say I'm a
huge fan of the podcast and of Glee. I really
loved the fan tribute episode that you guys did for Corey.
I'm really happy that these are doing one for Naya
as well. My personal favorite Naya or Santana performance is
from season four episode for the Breakup, when she sings
(24:19):
Mine to Brittany. Something about that song just it gets
me every single time I listen to it constantly. It's
one of my top most played Glee songs ever. I
just think it's absolutely beautiful, the storytelling that she can do.
For her voice, She's just such a powerhouse vocally and obviously,
(24:42):
as you guys know, an incredible actress. And that's one
of my personal favorite songs ever on the show.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Hello, my Name is Laurel.
Speaker 30 (24:52):
I had been a huge Glee fan for a very
long time. And Nia's character, I mean, she changed the
game for me, and I can speak for so many
of us queer women and lesbians that she Yeah, she
really changed it for so many of us. But what
I really appreciated about her character even more is that
(25:12):
although she was queer and she had this coming out story,
there was so much more to her and that wasn't
her only obstacle in life, you know it. One of
my favorite moments is when she sings Girl on Fire
in season four, and it's this kind of new Santana,
this confidence Santana, and you know she's overcoming these obstacles.
Speaker 8 (25:32):
She's chasing her dreams.
Speaker 30 (25:33):
It has nothing to do with her being queer. It's
not holding her back. It's never held her back. And
I don't know, just something about that solo. The vocals
are not only incredible, but just the whole performance, it
just it really really stuck with me. That was just incredible.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
She's incredible.
Speaker 29 (25:51):
What's of guys. My name is Aetie. I'm from Brazil
and it's very hard talking about nayacause I love her
and Santeli's my favorite character in Lee, but I just
have to say, thinking Naya for give life to a
character who made me feel like I wedd inside is
(26:12):
serious and I love Naya and he's her And of
course my favorite My favorite song is Valerie and it
is bye guys.
Speaker 33 (26:27):
Hey, guys, this is Holly from Ohio. Naya was a
precious jump taken far too soon from us. Her infectious
laugh and smile are forever ingrained in my mind, and
I know that she the talk guys start having endless
fiestas up there. Also. Don't ask me why, but I
can pitch you the boys wearing the ponchos and sobras
(26:48):
from season three in her saying they both looked ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I don't know why, but I just can.
Speaker 33 (26:55):
My favorite ballads over by Naya are ALFI Songbirden here
comes the song where she do with Dummy. Glee gets
harder and harder to watch these days, knowing we're missing people,
but the podcasts been so therapeutter for me and I
will forever be grateful for I hope it continues just
(27:15):
a little bit longer. Thanks guys, love you all.
Speaker 22 (27:18):
We miss Naya.
Speaker 34 (27:19):
Guys, Hi, Kevin and Jenna I'm Kia and Avid Gleek
from the Philippines. Santana is one of my favorite characters
on Glee and one of my favorite Naire performances and
Glee performance overall. That never fails to make me cry
is her acoustic version of Mine, which also has a
(27:41):
very deep and special meaning for me. I've also experienced
quite difficult losses in my life, and her voice always
felt like the warmest hug amidst these difficult times. Santana
and Naya definitely stood out, and I really hope the
(28:01):
world got to see more of her amazing talent. Thank you, guys,
and I hope you continue the podcast. Sending love from
the Philippinines.
Speaker 35 (28:11):
My name is Kayla and I've been a fan of
Glee since two thousand and nine. Back when the show premiered,
I was in sixth grade. By the time it had ended,
I was a junior in high school. And my favorite
Santana moment from the show is was hearing Nia sing
Songbird for the first time. It brought tears to my
eyes for multiple reasons. One because it sounded absolutely gorgeous,
(28:36):
and two because I was struggling with my sexuality at
the time, and watching Santana come to grips with her
sexuality helped me come to grips with mine, and that
character helped a generation of young queer girls try to
figure out who they were. And I don't think that
(28:58):
we would have a lot of shows, a lot of characters,
or a lot of artists that are loud, proud and
queer without Santana Lopez. So I will forever be grateful
for the character and for Nia Rivera.
Speaker 10 (29:11):
My name is Laura, I'm twenty nine, and I live
in Asheville, North Carolina. Nia was the only celebrity that
I almost sent a letter to and I chickened out,
so I'm hoping that this can make up for that.
But her portrayal of Santana, handled with such love and
(29:35):
grace and care, was the first time that I, as
a closeted young lesbian, ever felt seen where I could
see myself in something. And she really helped the trajectory
of my life and because of her, and it's really
(29:57):
poignant that you guys would be putting out this call today.
I'm actually getting married today and thinking about that and reflecting.
I think she has a lot to do with how
comfortable I am with myself now.
Speaker 21 (30:11):
Hi, I'm frances a twenty one year old lesbian from
the Philippines. As a whole, I credit Nia's portrayal of
Santana as life changing to me and an invaluable part
of my discovery and acceptance of my sexuality. But if
I had to choose a specific scene that stayed with me,
it was Santana's coming out scene to her umbrella. I
struggle to express what Nia's performance in this scene meant
(30:32):
to a lost, eleven year old me full of self
loathing and internal homophobia. It was so incredibly raw and beautiful.
Hearing her say I love girls the way I'm supposed
to feel about boys and describe her love for Brittany
along with her struggles with herself, made me feel truly
seen for the first time in my life. It forced
me to realize that this is really who I am,
(30:52):
but that maybe it could be okay because this strong, funny,
amazing character was the same. Today, I am full of
nothing but love and pride for who I am, and
I will always thank Nia for being a foundation in
reaching this point. Without any exaggeration, whatsoever, Nia and Santana
shaped my life.
Speaker 10 (31:11):
Martha from Connecticut.
Speaker 36 (31:12):
Here Nia had such a profound impact on me, not
only because I was a millennial in high school during
the peak of the show, but because Santana's coming out
storyline mirrored my own. I was in boarding school and
we didn't really have TVs, so we would watch episodes
on iTunes a week after the episodes premiered. So I
(31:32):
remember when rumors came out. It was my senior spring.
I had just come out to my own family as
gay and was experiencing backlash, and sitting in the dorm
room watching the performance of Landslide with my friends just
caused me to ball my eyes out.
Speaker 29 (31:49):
I was so.
Speaker 36 (31:51):
Impacted by the anger that Nya brought to that performance,
but also the layers of insecurity and tenderness, and just
so grateful for a representation that wasn't there before and
that will always stick with me, even all these years later.
Nia's greatly greatly missed.
Speaker 37 (32:10):
Hi, Jenna and Kevin. My name's Maya and I'm sixteen
years old. I've only recently gotten into Glee, and right
from the very beginning, Santana Lopez was my favorite character.
I mean, there's so much to love about her, her humor,
her smile, her laugh, and I think all of that
came from Nia, and that's truly why she was my
favorite character. Her voice is incredible. Some of her best
(32:31):
songs were come See About Me Anything that she covered
by Amy Winehouse and the iconic Don't Rain on My Parade.
Santana Lopez truly carried the show on her back like
she was incredible. I loved reading Nya's autobiography. I think
it was fantastic to just learn more about her acting
career and how she came to be you know, Nia
(32:53):
or Vera. She truly, even though she's gone, she will
always be a light to so many people. She's been
such a light in my life and her legacy will
live on forever, and I just want to say thank
you for honoring her.
Speaker 38 (33:06):
Hi, Kevin and Jenna. My name's Kira. And to say
that Nia made a big impact in my life is
such an understatement, as I can't really find the words
to describe what she's done for me in my life,
whether it's just Niah herself, or her role of Santana
Lopez or her role of Collette Jones. And as Nia
said on Heather's podcast The Dance Room, a couple of
(33:29):
years ago. One thing she admired about herself was her
telet like It Is attitude, And I can proudly say
that I finally have found my voice and found my
telet like it Is attitude, as I'm not afraid to
voice my opinion on a matter that I feel very
passionately about. I'm not afraid to stand up for myself.
(33:49):
Though I tend to go a bit overboard every single time,
I have no regrets, and I finally have found the
confidence to post my singing and funny enough, I did
post a small snippet of Constant Cravings sung by Maya
on season three of Glee.
Speaker 39 (34:04):
Hi my Name is Lyla. My favorite Santana slash naia
A moment is when she's saying if I die own
Corey slash Finn memorial episode. I love that you can
hear all the emotion her voice, and I think she
did a beautiful job covering that song. I loved her,
and I love you guys too and your podcast.
Speaker 40 (34:21):
Hi my name is Sophia. I wanted to talk about
the impact that Naya had all my life and also
some of my favorite moments of hers. I found Glee
in twenty twenty one, and ever since then, I've been obsessed,
especially with Nya's character Santana. I'm a Latina lesbian and
seeing someone on screen who looked like me that I
could relate to on such a unique level gave me
a confidence I'd never felt before. Santana and I are
(34:44):
one of the main reasons I felt okay to come
out to my parents. One of my favorite Santana moments
for me will always be when she came out to Herouilla.
Her words hit so close to home for me and
I finally felt understood. Nia herself has also inspired me
so much. The fact that she encouraged Santana to be
in love with Brittany so that people would feel represented
(35:05):
makes me want to work in the film industry to
do just that help people feel seen. At the end
of the day, now, I always stress the importance of
loving yourself, and that message will always stick with me.
Something I admired about Nya was her confidence, and I
would say one of my favorite moments of hers was
definitely her lip sync battle performance.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
She was such a badass.
Speaker 41 (35:26):
Hi Kevin and Vienna. This is Chantelle aka Late Bloomer
Gleek One of my favorite things about Nya is her smile.
She has a smile that can light up a room,
and every time you see her smile on screen, you
can't help but smile yourself. Another favorite of mine is
(35:50):
her comebacks, specifically the one where you guys took the
dental tablets and already goes, I made better at brushing
and flossing if I could see myself in the mirror,
and she goes, there you go, blue tooth. It gets
me every time I can't help but burst into laughter.
(36:14):
I love you guys, Thank you for doing the podcast.
Speaker 15 (36:17):
Bye.
Speaker 20 (36:18):
Hi.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
My name is Nikki. I'm a seventeen year old cliak
from the Netherlands. I love you Kevin and Jenna on
your podcast. I'm really excited for spelling Bee. My favorite
Naya moment isn't actually from the show, but it's from
your podcast. There's a short clip online from an episode
you did with both Naya and Heather in which you
willcall the moment Naya and Jenna met Beyonce in the bathrooms,
(36:39):
and I absolutely loved how care free the moment seemed
and how it really just looked like a bunch of
old friends catching up, Especially the moment where Kevin imitates
Beyonce and is like, who told me that? And everyone
just breaks into giggles. It's a beautiful moment and I
love to rewatch it whenever I want to remember Naya.
Speaker 34 (36:55):
That was all.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Thank you guys so much for listening. Have a great day.
Speaker 42 (36:59):
My favorite at Naya memory is hands down. I'm like
thirteen twelve, I don't know. I'm on the top bunk
of my childhood bed. My little sister is underneath, and
she's got Glee on, and I'm like, oh, gay whatever,
that's so lame. I'm gay, so internalized. Right on comes
(37:21):
the episode Born this Way.
Speaker 13 (37:24):
You know.
Speaker 42 (37:24):
It's showing all of the classmates, the people in Glee
club happily singing about how they're proud to be who
they are, and it pans to Santana in her Lebanese
T shirt next to her beard, and it was literally
like the camera had turned on me, was filming me
on my bunk bed moaning to my little sister, saying
(37:45):
that I didn't want to watch Glee because it was gay. Meanwhile,
I'm a massive gay. In that moment, I felt less alone,
and no one could have played Santana like Naya. I
think about Santana all the time and about how she
helped me become the confident lesbian that I am today.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Wow.
Speaker 24 (38:08):
Hey there. My name is Nick and I'm a special
education teacher in Texas and I love that y'all are
asking people to send in their favorite Santana moments because
I believe there is one in particular that stands out
above the rest, and that is when Santana comes barging
through the doors, belting out Rachel Berry's signature song Don't
(38:29):
Rain on My Parade while auditioning to be her understudy
and funny Girl, because Rachel had just discounted her and
kind of told her, you know, you're not good enough.
Speaker 29 (38:40):
What are you doing with your life?
Speaker 24 (38:42):
And for Santana to take the reins and out do
Rachel on her own song.
Speaker 29 (38:47):
Is just so good.
Speaker 24 (38:52):
Anytime I'm in a bad mood, I can watch that
and it makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
Absolutely amazing and perfectly portrayed by Naia Rivera is something
I'll never forget because I still watch it at least
once a week.
Speaker 23 (39:06):
Hi guys, my name is Sylvia Garcia and I'm from
a Tico city so really, my English is not that good.
He's my favorite TV show in the whole world, and
actually Santanelopez is my favorite character, so thank you for
doing this. My favorite scene of Santana Lopez it's when
she came out as a lesbian because it has a
(39:27):
lot of meaning for the people and for me personally.
And my favorite performance of her it's obviously mine because
it's a beautiful song and when I sing it, it's
most beautiful. So yeah, it's one of my favorite memories
of her. So thank you, Nayeah. We still love you.
(39:49):
We're still thinking about you and your legacy. It is
never over. So thank you guys.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to
record and share your love for Nya with us and
with everybody who listens to this podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Your stories reminded us how far her talent and light
and power reached and how deeply she's missed. We're just
so grateful that we got to celebrate her with all
of you. We love you, Naya and that's where you
really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram
at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure
to write us a review and leave US five Stars,
(40:27):
See you next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
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