In an emotional interview with PEOPLE, Ryan Dorsey, the ex-husband of late Glee star Naya Rivera, shared heartbreaking new details about the day she tragically drowned in July 2020. Their son, Josey, now 9, still carries guilt over not being able to save his mother during the devastating incident at Lake Piru in California.
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The Tragic Day at Lake Piru
On July 8, 2020, Rivera and Josey, then just 4 years old, were swimming off a rental boat when the boat began to drift. Rivera noticed the danger and told Josey to swim back to the boat. Dorsey recounts Josey’s memories of the day:
“He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore.”
Josey also remembers trying to find a way to save his mom.
“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,” Dorsey shared. “I keep reassuring him, ‘Buddy, that rope wasn’t going to be long enough.’”
The boat was not equipped with an anchor or flotation devices, a detail Dorsey highlighted in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed on behalf of Josey against Ventura County, which was settled in 2022.
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A Father’s Anguish
Dorsey learned of Rivera’s disappearance while shopping at a supermarket. “I collapsed into a pallet of drinks,” he recalled. “I feared the worst.” He immediately drove 145 miles to Lake Piru, chain-smoking and crying the entire way. “I just wanted to get to Josey,” he said.
Josey was found asleep and alone on the drifting boat, but Rivera’s body was discovered five days later in a remote part of the lake. “When it happened, I just found myself shaking my head, like, ‘I can’t believe she’s gone,’” Dorsey said. “It’s still so surreal every day.”
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Life Without Naya
Dorsey and Josey have since moved to West Virginia, where they are navigating life without Rivera. The holidays remain particularly difficult.
“We made this book of memories for Josey that sits by his bed, and during the holidays he was crying looking at it,” Dorsey shared. “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.’”
Despite the challenges, Dorsey says Josey is a happy and energetic child. “He gives me a reason to keep going with my life,” Dorsey said. “I’m trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man.”
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A Legacy of Love
As Dorsey and Josey continue to heal, they honor Rivera’s memory by cherishing the time they have together.
“It’s hard trying to explain things that you can’t really make sense of no matter what age you are,” Dorsey said. “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.”
Naya Rivera’s legacy lives on through Josey, and Dorsey remains committed to ensuring his son grows up knowing how much his mother loved him.
