Naya Rivera Puts To Rest Those Pesky 'Glee' Exit Rumors

Jason Scott
March 19, 2014

Naya Rivera is the latest victim of the rumor mill. Currently starring on the hit comedy-musical Glee, the actress portrays the feisty, strong-willed (and sometimes brash) Santana Lopez. Amid recent rumors of her potentially leaving the show after Season 5, she reveals to TV Line that there is simply no truth in the claims.

"“People just take things, little things, and blow them up," she tells the site, adding, "I guess Lea was doing interviews and had omitted me from the New York cast list, but I’m sure that was just a Freudian slip on her part, or maybe it wasn't."

But the actress again confirmed her involvement with the show: “I can say that I have to go out of town tonight for a job, and I have to be back Thursday at noon to go to work on 'Glee.'"

During Tuesday's (March 18) 100th episode celebration, part one, Heather Morris made a fabulous return to the show. “To have [he] back was awesome,” she added. “Everybody loves a little Brittany/Santana action," Rivera shares.

During the magical hour-long extravaganza, Rivera did a bit of live tweeting for her nearly two million fans.

"Being a part of something special makes you special". Glee has and continues to be one of the most special journeys in my life.

— Naya Rivera (@NayaRivera) March 18, 2014

Thank you to the fans, crew, producers, directors, 20th, and most importantly the cast for making these 100 episodes truly magical. Enjoy!

— Naya Rivera (@NayaRivera) March 18, 2014

She then shared a few candid shots over the years.


Rivera later attended the Glee 100th red carpet event.




Rivera is currently hard at work on her highly anticipated debut album, expected later this year. The lead single, "Sorry," features her fiancé and rapper Big Sean. "I’m working with some great producers right now," she told Rolling Stone last fall of her upcoming album. "As far as guest spots go, I've got a little wish list. It's just a matter of finding what tracks work best with what people. You can definitely be on the lookout for some really cool collabs."

On shifting to music full-time when Glee does end after Season 6: "I am looking forward to that. Once the show ends, it's obviously going to be incredibly bittersweet because this is a show that I grew up on and it's like our little baby. I would be looking forward to touring with the album and maybe getting into some other TV gigs, so we'll see."