Naya Rivera has been written out of Glee’s season 5 finale and it is unknown whether or not she will appear in the show’s sixth and final season; however, sources insist Rivera was not fired.

Naya Rivera Written Out Of 'Glee' Season 5 Finale

According to reports, Rivera was originally supposed to appear in the Glee season finale airing May 13, but her character, Santana Lopez, was written out of the final script, meaning that the finale will be completely absent of Rivera.

Rumors that Rivera was fired from the popular musical show went into high gear after the announcement, fuelled by the fact that Rivera is not yet confirmed to participate in season 6. A rep for Rivera denied any firing from the show, saying, “Any reports or rumors circulating that Naya Rivera was let go or fired from Glee are absolutely untrue. End of story.”

Rivera Feuding With Lea Michele, Producers

Rivera may not have been fired, but other rumors suggest that Rivera was written out of the finale due to a behind the scenes feud with Glee star Lea Michele. It was reported that Rivera and Michele got into a huge fight on set April 15, and that Rivera was extremely jealous of Michele’s position on the show. However, conflicting reports say that Rivera actually got into a heated argument with producers on set that day. And according to sources close to the set, there is no truth to the story that Michele contributed to Rivera’s rumored firing.

“[Naya] isn’t fired and her not being in the finale has nothing to do with Lea. I don’t know where these stories are coming from, but they are not true,” a source told E! News.

Rumors: Naya Rivera Fired From 'Glee'

The source also insisted that there has been no on set drama, but other sites are reporting that there was tension between Rivera and the Glee showrunners which eventually led to her alleged dismissal.

“Lea was caught in the crossfire between showrunners, and Naya. None of the cast, including Lea, are particularly happy about the situation, and none of the staff were calling for her termination,” a source told PopWrapped.

Another source revealed that Rivera has been causing drama behind the scenes with a diva attitude.

“Naya’s been showing up, clashing with a few cast mates, and [her] behavior’s been a little erratic and unpredictable,” a source told HollywoodLife.com.

It has been reported that there are no plans for Rivera to return to Glee during its final season, though creator Ryan Murphy recently said that he plans on welcoming back any Glee alumni back during the show’s last year.

“My feeling about the last season of Glee is very clear, and that is we will be reaching out to all of the regulars on the show, that original group of Glee club members and the teachers, and anybody who wants to come back can come back. Anybody who wants to be a part of the show, we welcome them,” Murphy told E! News.

No official statements have been made addressing Rivera’s future with Glee.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.