Ryan Dorsey has taken to Instagram to address speculations about his relationship with Naya Rivera's sister Nickayla.
In an emotional video, the single father confirmed that Nickayla had moved in with him and his son Josey to help him raise the five-year-old.
Slamming the "false narrative" that has been painted about him and the 26-year-old model, he said that Nickayla had moved in because she's the "closest thing my son has to a mum".
In the video, Ryan says: "Josey asks me if Titi can live with us. 'I want Titi to live with us forever,' because she's now the closest thing he has to a mom. You're going to need all the help you can get as a single parent trying to build your career and navigate this disaster with your child."
"It's a temporary situation. After all that he's had to go through how could you deny him that? Because of what? What some strangers might think or say, or spew some hatred based on some ill-advised, ill-logical, misinformed tabloid?"
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He continued:
"You know he's so smart and you know he witnessed a nightmare right before his eyes. Then when you're with him every day during this, with his grandpas, and his grandmas, and his aunts and his uncles, and his whole family, and all you have is each other to lean on and to cry with, and you go through this nightmare.
"It's sad. The reality hits you and the grieving can start, but the sadness gets heavier because you know you're going to have to have conversation one on one with a little boy and tell him about our new reality."
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"To have a young woman who is his blood, his Titi, who is willing to put her life on hold and sacrifice things, uproot her situation for the betterment of your child," he added.
"So when you put your child to bed you don't always have to be alone with your thoughts and you don't have to be sad any day or night wondering when does it get better. At least you have someone there with you to talk to or just sit in silence and be sad with. You don't have to deal with being completely alone."
Naya Rivera had gone missing at Lake Piru earlier this year in July:
Naya, best known for her role in musical comedy Glee, died of accidental drowning while swimming in Lake Piru in California. Her son Josey was found in a pontoon boat nearby after being hoisted back in by Naya. Police speculated that she had "mustered enough energy" to rescue her son "but not enough to save herself".
Naya Rivera's tragic death at the age of just 33 shocked the world and prompted an outpouring of grief after her body was discovered following an accidental drowning.
The 33-year-old rose to fame on Glee for her role as cheerleader Santana Lopez.
Now, the actress's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, who she was married to for four years from 2014 to 2018, has publically mourned her loss for the first time in a social media post.
He wrote on Instagram: "This is so unfair... there's not enough words to express the hole left in everyone's hearts.
"I can't believe this is life now. I don't know if I'll ever believe it. You were just here... We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn't fair."
"I don't know what to say… I'm thankful for our times and our journey that brought us together and gave us the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for.
"Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. He'll never forget where he came from."
Nickayla Rivera, Naya's sister, also took to Instagram to mourn her loss, writing that she will miss her "every second of my life".
"There are no words to describe my love for you," she wrote.
She continued: "Side by side or miles apart, our connection is infinite. Our bond is unbreakable. We were complete opposites, yet simultaneously the same. The yin to my yang. I never knew that by losing you, I would find so much of you in myself."
"I've never known a life without you in it & still can't imagine it. My world is turned upside down. But through it all, everything we were, we are still. I'll always look at you with the same eyes as I did when I was young.
"My shmaya, I'll love you for eternity and miss you every second of my life."
Rivera's co-stars from Glee also took to social media to praise their late costar, per the BBC.
Kevin McHale, who played Artie Abrams on the show, wrote: "She was so independent and strong and the idea of her not being here is something I cannot comprehend."
Jane Lynch, who played cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, added: "Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family."
Nearly five years after the tragic drowning of actress Naya Rivera, her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey has spoken out in his first in-depth interview, sharing the poignant final moments Rivera spent with their son, Josey, before her untimely death.
Naya Rivera tragically drowned nearly five years ago. Credit: Emma McIntyre / Getty
On July 8, 2020, Rivera and then-four-year-old Josey went for a swim during a day out at Lake Piru in Southern California, having rented a pontoon boat for a private outing.
Tragically, Rivera never returned to shore, and was declared missing. Her body was discovered five days later, on July 13, following a large-scale search operation. She was just 33 years old.
Now, speaking to PEOPLE, Dorsey has revealed heartbreaking details Josey remembers from that day, including the last words his mother said to him.
“She told him, ‘Don’t be silly,’ when he said he was scared to swim,” Dorsey said. “She was trying to reassure him.”
Josey jumped into the water with Rivera, but the boat they had rented began drifting away. In her final moments, Rivera focused entirely on getting her son back on board.
Dorsey shared that Josey has described the experience in remarkable detail, recalling that he held onto “the tanks” as his mother helped him back to safety. “He said the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore,” Dorsey recalled.
The now-nine-year-old has struggled with lingering feelings of guilt. “He keeps bringing up this moment with a rope on the boat, he said he saw a rope, but there was a big spider on it, and he was too scared to use it,” Dorsey said.
“He thinks if he’d thrown it, he might have saved her. I keep telling him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t long enough. You couldn’t have done anything.’ But that moment clearly haunts him,” he added.
Dorsey reflected on the possible causes of Rivera’s drowning, calling it a “freak occurrence,” possibly involving underwater brush or a strong undercurrent. “I’d like to think if I had been there, I could’ve saved her,” he admitted. “But maybe we both could have ended up in danger. I’ll never know.”
He also recounted the harrowing moment he first learned of Rivera’s disappearance. Dorsey, now 41, was grocery shopping in Big Bear Lake when he received a call from Rivera’s stepfather, telling him that Naya was missing.
“I just dropped to the ground,” he said, via The Independent. “I couldn’t believe it. I drove like a maniac to get to Josey, crying the whole way, chain-smoking even though I don’t smoke.”
In 2022, Rivera’s family reached a wrongful death settlement with Ventura County, where Lake Piru is located.
The lawsuit alleged insufficient safety warnings and signage around the lake, according to Sky News. The settlement ensures that Josey will be financially supported in the years to come.
“While no amount of money can ever replace his mother,” the family said in a statement, “we’re grateful this settlement will help Josey build a future, one his mom would have wanted for him.”
Featured image credit: Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images.
An update has been shared on Josey, the son of the late Glee star Naya Rivera, six years after her tragic death.
As previously reported, Rivera died at the age of 33 in July 2020, after renting a boat on Lake Piru with her then-four-year-old son.
She was reported as a missing person after failing to return the boat on time, after which Josey was found asleep alone on board.
He told investigators that he and his mom had been swimming before she told him to get back on the boat, helping him on board, before she vanished under the water as he searched for a rope to help her.
Josey was on the boat with his mother, Naya Rivera, when she tragically drowned. Credit: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
Tragically, Rivera's body was found five days later after an extensive search, with her death being ruled as accidental drowning.
In the resulting years, Rivera's son - who she shared with ex Ryan Dorsey, 43, - has remained largely out of the limelight as the family dealt with their grief privately.
Now, it has been revealed that Josey has been case in his first movie role in The Burning Valley, alonside his father.
According to the film's IMDb page, Josey is credited as "boy", while Dorsey will play "Sam Pope" in the upcoming film, written and directed by Evan Coury.
The movie is currently shooting on location in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt, in Arnold, around Brackenridge and across the Allegheny River, with Coury telling TribLive of his feature film debut: "The movie is about a steelworker who loses his job when the mill announces a shutdown. It sets him on a journey as he wanders through his Rust Belt town."
He described it as a "small, poetic film about deindustrialization, with an emotional truth," adding: "My hope is to encapsulate the history of our region through one guy's personal experience."
Prior to making his big-screen debut, Josey previously played one of the Wickersham Brothers in a 2024 theatre production of Seussical Jr.
Last year, Dorsey opened up about how Rivera's death had affected Josey, with the young boy still feeling "guilt" for not being able to save his mom.
He told People: "Something he's said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft, and there was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it.
"I keep reassuring him, 'Buddy, that rope wasn't going to be long enough.'"
Dorsey said then then-four-year-old remembered it had been a windy day as he and his mother got into the water from their rented boat.
After some time swimming, Rivera noticed the boat was drifting and told Josey to swim back, with the little boy - who was wearing a life jacket - managing to get back onto the boat, watching as his mother slipped below the surface.
Dorsey explained: "He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn't see her anymore.
"It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments."
Naya Rivera's body was recovered five days after she disappeared. Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Dorsey recalled being in a supermarket buying food for a friend's barbecue when he received a call from Rivera's mom Yolanda's husband to say she was missing, immediately dropping everything to make the 145 mile drive to the lake.
He added: "I collapsed into a pallet of drinks. I feared the worst.
"I drove 100-and-something the whole way with my four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes - and I don't even smoke, really - and just crying. I just wanted to get to Josey.
"If we'd have lost both Naya and Josey, I don't know how I would continue on with my life. I don't know what I would've done, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been good."
Dorsey revealed that when Rivera was found dead, he couldn't "believe she's gone", finding it "still so surreal every day."
Naya Rivera died at the age of 33. Credit: Jeff Vespa / Getty Images
He added: "We made this book of memories for Josey that sits by his bed, and during the holidays he was crying looking at it.
"You can only give him a hug and tell him, 'I know, life is not fair. Bad things happen, and there's no reason for it, and you just have to do your best to be a good person.'
"It's hard trying to explain things that you can't really make sense of no matter what age you are. I'm not a big believer in everything happens for a reason because I can't ever think of a reason why he doesn't have his mom...
"He wakes up happy, all energy. I'm trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man. He gives me a reason to keep going with my life."
Warning: This article contains distressing details.
Naya Rivera's son has revealed the actress' final heartbreaking words before she tragically drowned in front of him.
On July 8, 2020, the Glee star and her son Josey went on a boating trip at Lake Piru in California, a popular location for swimming and boating.
But four hours after they left shore, the little boy, who was four at the time, was discovered alone and asleep in the pontoon boat wearing a lifejacket. His 33-year-old mother was declared missing, and an urgent hunt was launched to try and find her.
Naya Rivera tragically drowned nearly five years ago. Credit: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Tragically, five days later, on the anniversary of her Glee co-star Cory Monteith’s death, Rivera’s body was discovered in the lake. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.
Nearly five years after Rivera's death, her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey is now opening up to People about their son's heartbreaking memories of that day - including his mom telling him: “Don’t be silly!” after he told her he was scared to swim.
The mother and son had been enjoying the water together when the actress noticed their boat drifting away. Josey still remembers holding onto “the tanks” as he struggled to bring himself back to the boat.
Watch the interview below:
“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore,” Dorsey shared.
One of the most heartbreaking details the father shared is how his son still carries guilt over his mother’s death.
“Something he’s said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft, and there was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it,” he told the outlet.
“I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough.’ That obviously still sticks out in his head because he feels like he could have saved her," he added.
Dorsey went on to speculate that the drowning was likely caused by a freak current or perhaps Rivera was caught in the underwater brush.
“I probably would have jumped in, and I like to think I would've saved the day,” he admitted. “But on the other hand, I think maybe something bad could have happened to both of us. I don't know.”
Josey has revealed his mom's final words. Credit: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
The 41-year-old was shopping at a supermarket in Big Bear Lake, California when he got the call that Rivera had disappeared.
“I instantly said, ‘What do you mean? She knows how to swim.’ He said, 'They jumped in, and Josey got back on, and they're trying to find Naya,’” Dorsey recalled.
The devastating news hit him like a ton of bricks so he drove towards Lake Piru with his "four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes," adding: "I don’t even smoke, really - and just crying. I just wanted to get to Josey.
“If we’d have lost both Naya and Josey, I don’t know how I would continue on with my life,” he emotionally shared. "I don't know what I would've done, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been good."
In 2022, Rivera’s bereaved family reached a wrongful death settlement against Ventura County.
In a statement to E! News, they expressed relief that the settlement would help provide for Josey’s future.
“Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru,” the statement read.
“Though the tragic loss of Josey’s mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy,” they added.
Nearly five years after the tragic death of Naya Rivera, the Glee star's ex-husband has opened up about the heartbreaking details surrounding her final moments.
On July 8, 2020, the late actress and her then-four-year-old son Josey went swimming at Lake Piru in Southern California, having rented a pontoon boat for a private outing.
Tragically, Rivera never returned to shore and was declared missing. Her body was discovered five days later, on July 13, following a large-scale search operation.
An official incident report revealed that the 33-year-old drowned due to exhaustion from trying to help her son back onto the boat, with The Hollywood Reporter confirming the details.
Naya Rivera has tragically passed away at the age of 33. Credit: Jeff Vespa / Getty
Josey’s Heartbreaking Memory of the Incident
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Rivera's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, spoke about the fatal incident and how the loss continues to affect him and their young son, Josey.
“When it happened, I just found myself shaking my head, like, 'I can't believe she's gone,'" he told the outlet. "It's still so surreal every day."
The father revealed that the now-10-year-old continues to recall a specific heartbreaking memory from that day: “Something he’s said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft, and there was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it.
"I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough,'” he added.
“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore," Dorsey says. "It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.”
Josey still feels guilt for being unable to save his mom. Credit: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
Dorsey reflected on the possible causes of Rivera’s drowning, calling it a “freak occurrence,” possibly involving underwater brush or a strong undercurrent.
“I’d like to think if I had been there, I could’ve saved her,” he admitted. “But maybe we both could have ended up in danger. I’ll never know.”
The Lawsuit Following Rivera’s Death
The aftermath of the Glee icon's death led to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her estate, with Dorsey acting on behalf of their son.
According to Sky News, in 2022, they filed a suit against Ventura County, claiming the boat Rivera rented lacked proper safety equipment. The lawsuit called her death "utterly preventable," highlighting that the boat's lack of life-saving features contributed to the tragedy.
The suit also pointed to the fact that over two dozen people have died in the lake since 1959. The plaintiffs claimed there were no signs warning of the lake’s strong currents.
In response, Ventura County argued that Rivera had declined to wear a lifejacket, which had been provided with the boat.
The case was eventually settled, with lawyer Amjad M. Khan issuing a statement on behalf of the family: “Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru. Though the tragic loss of Josey's mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy."
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