Tahj Mowry Opens Up About Naya Rivera Being His "First" Love in Touching Tribute

Tahj Mowry penned a moving tribute to Naya Rivera, as the search for the actress continues. "I still have faith. I still have hope. Let's please all pray that she is found and brought home," he shared

By Alyssa Morin Jul 11, 2020 7:57 PMTags

Tahj Mowry is remembering his special memories with Naya Rivera.

As the search for the Glee alum continues, the 34-year-old actor penned a heartbreaking and emotional tribute to the actress in a lengthy Instagram post. In his moving message, the Smart Guy star opened up about his past romance with Naya and how she was his "first" love.

"My sweet Naya, to say that I am devastated would be an understatement. This is a nightmare. Everyday gets harder. However, I am holding onto hope that you will be found," Tahj began his caption.

"We grew up together. We became adults together. We experienced so many firsts together. You were my first experience with everything; love, intimacy, heartbreak. We broke each other's hearts and then mended them back together... more than once," he continued. "I will never not think of you. No woman has ever measured up what you gave me or how you made me feel. I've never liked to admit it but I have never stopped loving you."

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"A part of me always wished for the day where God would bring us back together to be what we dreamt we could have been," the Baby Daddy actor admitted.

In his post dedicated to Naya, Tahj also took a moment to honor her loved ones during this difficult time.

"I pray deeply for the Rivera family and that God blankets them with strength, peace, and love right now," he wrote. "Mychal and Nickayla, you will always be like younger siblings to me and I love you dearly. I watched you two grow up into beautiful adults. George and Yolanda, whatever you need I am here for you. We are forever family and I love you." ⁣

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Additionally, the 34-year-old actor sent his love to the Glee star's 4-year-old son, Josey, and her ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey.

"I ask everyone reading this to please lift up, along with the entire Rivera family, Ryan and Josey in prayer and to respect what they are going through during this time. I pray that God showers the entire family with strength and peace that only He can give," Tahj shared. "I still have faith. I still have hope. Let's please all pray that she is found and brought home safely."

Closing his message, the Smart Guy alum expressed his heartache and said he still has hope he'll see the 33-year-old actress again.

"Naya, I miss you deeply. I wish I got the chance to tell you that once more but I'm believing I will get that chance," he wrote. "I know deep down you've always known how I felt. I look forward to the day where I can see your beautiful face once more and tell you everything I've wanted to say that I didn't get the chance to say. I love you forever. I always have and I always will."

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According to Metro, Naya and Tahj first met on the set of the 1990s sitcom Smart Guy, and dated between 2000 and 2004. However, the actor didn't specify details of his and the Glee star's relationship, like when they began dating and when they decided to break up.

On Wednesday, July 8, the Ventura, Calif. authorities confirmed Naya was missing after her toddler son was found alone on the boat she rented in the middle of Lake Piru. As of now, the actress is presumed dead, in what law enforcement describes as a possible drowning accident.

On Saturday, the police department tweeted, "The search for Naya Rivera continues at Lake Piru. We are being assisted by @TulareSheriff and @SLOSheriff." On Friday night, they also released video footage online to show the "many resources" being used to find the actress.