Ryan Dorsey Speaks on Naya Rivera’s Death & Raising Their Son

Naya Rivera‘s tragic death at the age of 33 after she drowned while on a boat with her then four-year-old son in 2020 and now her ex-husband is sharing more details about her death. Actor Ryan Dorsey — who was married to actress from 2014 to 2018—is speaking out about the actress’s death and raising their son, Josey. Rivera died July 8 in Lake Piru in Ventura County while out boating with Josey. After Rivera had failed to return the boat, staff found her son asleep by himself wearing a life jacket on the boat. A search went underway and her body was found five days later. Following her death, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ventura County—citing her death could have been preventable because the boat did not have necessary safety equipment. The case was eventually settled with funds saved for her son. Dorsey recently spoke to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about life since her death and the effect it had on Josey:

“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 said. “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. I think she just got caught up in a brush — that or a weird undercurrent from the dam. It was just a freak occurrence.”

The actor also shared with People on the set of his February 3 PEOPLE shoot in Malibu, California how reminders of Rivera persist almost every day: “We have pictures up at the house, pictures by Josey’s bed…I still can’t really look at them. Time, they say, makes it easier, but I don’t know. I think it just makes it easier to go about your day without thinking about it every hour. When it first happened, it was like every hour, every minute you’re thinking about it.”

When it comes to 9-year-old Josey, Dorsey shares his gratitude for the memories that he still has with his mother and how he keeps her alive through his piano lessons, which Rivera herself regretted not keeping up with.

“I said, ‘Your mom would definitely have you playing,’ and I said, ‘She’s always watching you,'” Dorsey said.

Their son is the anchor that keeps Dorsey grounded as he navigates grief and life without Rivera, he says “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.” 

Rivera got her early start in television on shows like Family Matters, The Royal Family, and The Bernie Mac Show. Rivera’s acting breakthrough came in 2009 with her portrayal of Santana Lopez in the Fox comedy Glee where she broke barriers as one of the first LGBTQ+ Latina characters on television. Her wit and carefree nature made strides for queer Latinas on screen, showing an unapologetic Latina staying true to her authentic self. Her performance earned her praise including ALMA Awards—such as Favorite TV Actress – Comedy and Best Female Music Artist.