Naya Rivera Reveals She Had A Crush On Bryton James When They Were Child Actors On 'Family Matters'

The late Glee actor, who got an early start in the entertainment business, had admitted that she had a sweet crush on James at the time. In 1991, she joined The Royal Family as a cast member, playing the role of Hillary Winston until 1992 when the show went off the air.

Aside from securing a recurring role in Family Matters, Rivera then made several appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In her book entitled, "Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up," the late actor opened up about the huge crush she had on James.

Gwendolyn, the character she played was the love-interest of Richie, a character played by James. Rivera reveals that Richie wasn't just her on-screen love, but she was convinced that she was going to marry him. She recalls that Richie could dance, and sported the best Jheri curl on television, noting that there's nothing more a girl could want.

In other words, James made a massive impression on Rivera, who revealed that she used to talk to him for hours. Aside from that, they danced together on the Family Matters wrap party. James impressed her with his Michael Jackson moves, while she tried to impress him with her running man, Cheatsheet ShowBiz reported.

Describing the memorable night in her book, Rivera writes that James looked like Michael Jackson, adding that she was obsessed. She recalls calling James and talking to him on the phone for hours but doesn't remember what their conversation was about at the time.

Rivera deemed the Family Matters wrap party as the most memorable moment of their romance. While adults were getting drunk, and older kids were busy trying to look cool, she and James danced until they were sweaty, Rivera wrote in the book.

She went on to describe their dance moves, adding that she had mastered the running man so well that it should have been added to her resume under the special skills section. As a child actor, Rivera had a good life which comprised exclusive invites and making famous friends.

One of these big invites was to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Rivera admitted that her on-screen roles offered some offscreen perks. She noted that she was on multiple auditions with Jackson's niece, who was an actress as well. Their mothers became friends over time, and she was even invited to her birthday party at Neverland Ranch.

The best part of the birthday part according to Rivera was that she could eat all the candy without having to pay for them. Her original plan was walking up to a concession stand filled with candy and popcorn, and drool on the snacks because she didn't have any money.