Nearly five years ago, Ryan Dorsey’s life changed forever.
The Justified actor, 41, discovered on July 8, 2020, that Naya Rivera, his former wife and the mother of his son, was missing after she rented a boat for a day of swimming at Lake Piru in California. The Glee actress, 33, was last seen in the water by their son, Josey, who was 4 years old at the time.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office searched the lake for days before their worst fears were confirmed on July 13. Rivera accidentally drowned moments after she used her last bit of energy to help Josey climb back into the boat, saving his life.
Rivera’s unexpected death was a “never-ending nightmare” for her family.
Ryan Dorsey Shares the Last Things Naya Rivera Said to Their Son
“I remember laying there with [Josey] in a state of shock,” Dorsey recalls in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “Looking at this beautiful boy and grateful that he’s OK. When he woke up, he said, ‘Dad, what are you doing here?’ I said, ‘I came to be with you.’ He told me, ‘They can’t find Mommy. I hope they find her, but I think she might be dead.’ I was devastated for him, for me, for everyone.”
Overcome with tragedy, Dorsey left Los Angeles with Josey and returned to his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, where he began to rebuild their lives. Five years later, father and son have fallen into a “surreal” but happy rhythm.
Dorsey is focused on being the best father he can be to little Josey, who spoke with a grief counselor to help him process Rivera’s death. The 9-year-old is enrolled in school and paying tribute to his mother with performances in local plays and piano lessons.
“I see how creative [Josey] is,” Dorsey shares. “He’s been playing piano for a year and he is getting better at that. It’s been awesome to watch him go from poking around on one finger to playing with two hands. He’s starting to really hit the notes when he’s singing. He said to me the other day, ‘Dad, I think I might want to be a musician. My mom is a singer, so why not me?’ I just thought that was a beautiful thing.”
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Dorsey makes sure that Josey is close with Rivera’s family, arranging frequent FaceTime calls and visits with her parents and siblings in Los Angeles. The actor tells Us that Josey “talks with [his] grandma and all the uncles,” who are “very involved” in the boy’s life. The 9-year-old is also encouraged to share his thoughts and feelings about Rivera whenever she crosses his mind.
“[Josey will] always have a lot of memories [of his mother],” Dorsey shares. “He’s still telling stories about when we went to this place or that place. We have a lot of videos. Your iPhone will remind you, ‘Three years ago on this date,’ and I’ll say, ‘Hey, do you remember this?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I remember.’”
Dorsey honors Rivera’s place in Josey’s life through big birthday celebrations — a tradition that the Glee star started when their son was a baby. Josey will celebrate his 10th birthday in September, and the party will reflect that major milestone with a Ninja Turtles or Star Wars–themed bash.
Dorsey is hopeful that one day, when the timing is right, Josey could have a stepmother to help love and care for him as he moves forward in life. But the most important thing, Dorsey stresses, is Josey’s continued health and happiness as he remembers Rivera.
“Josey is going to be her legacy,” Dorsey shares. “I don’t know what he’s going to do, but I think he’s going to do great things.”
