Naya Rivera's father, George Rivera, said there was off-screen drama between his late daughter and her former "Glee" co-star Lea Michele.
During an appearance in the new docu-series "The Price of Glee," he said the two actors regularly had "trouble" with each other.
"There was always a fight between them," he said, according to the Daily Mail. "Always. Everybody knew. Everybody saw it. They hated each other but, at the same time, respected each other's talent."
George added that his daughter, who portrayed Santana Lopez in the musical comedy-drama, had no issues with any other cast member.
Naya was declared dead July 13, 2020, after being reported missing five days earlier. She had taken a boat ride with her son Josey, 4, at California's Lake Piru when she drowned. Josey was found asleep in the boat. He told investigators that he and his mother were swimming, but his mother never got back into the boat.
It was later revealed that Naya died trying to get Josey back to safety after reportedly taking a swim together.
Before her death, Naya opened up about her long-rumored feud with Michele in her memoir, "Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up."
"One of the 'Glee' writers once said that Lea and I were like two sides of the same battery and that about sums us up," Naya wrote. "We are both strong willed and competitive — not just with each other but with everyone — and that's not a good mixture.
"As the show progressed, though, that friendship started to break down, especially as Santana moved from a background character to one with bigger plot lines and more screen time."
Naya said Michele "didn't like sharing the spotlight" and claimed she was "a lot more sensitive" when "people offer feedback or criticism. If I'd complained about anyone or anything, she'd assumed I was b***hing about her."
Eventually it reached a point where Naya claimed Michele "didn't say a word" to her on set.
"Lea and I definitely weren't the best of friends, and I doubt we'll ever sit on her couch and eat kale together again, but the rumors of our 'feud' were blown out of proportion," she said.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.