Even though Naya Rivera became a household name with “Glee,” she had been working since 1991 and appeared on a ton of sitcoms as a child. One of those was “Smart Guy,” which starred Tahj Mowry. But she met Tahj when she was four and they dated from 200 to 2004, according to People. And after Rivera died, Tahj Mowry’s big sister, Tia Mowry, shared just how close she was with the late actor as well.
“I have known Naya ever since she was a little girl. And some of my favorite memories of Naya […] was just her being a part of our family,” Mowry told People not long after Rivera was found. She recalled an important memory of Rivera helping Tia and Tamera Mowry find their own house at 25 when their parents essentially kicked them out of theirs. She also shared that simple times came back too, like “hanging out with her and Tahj, just enjoying the nightlife in L.A.” Tia said that the thing she loved about Rivera was that “she was always dependable. Whenever I needed her, she was always there without hesitation.”
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Along with calling Rivera a “beautiful spirit, beautiful soul” she told Entertainment Tonight a month after Rivera was found that Tia thinks about her “every single day.” She recalled Rivera’s “calm demeanor” and how funny she was. “But the memories that I have of her are such wonderful, great memories of family.”
