Entertainment
Naya Rivera’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey reveals son Josey ‘knows he’ll see’ Glee star again a year on from death
Ryan Dorsey says Naya Rivera’s son Josey, five, is ‘resilient’ (Picture: Getty; Ryan Dorsey/Instagram)
Naya Rivera’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey has shared a heartfelt update about their ‘resilient’ son Josey, a year after the star’s death.
The Glee actress died on July 8, 2020 after accidentally drowning during a boating incident at Lake Piru, California. Her body was discovered five days later.
Josey was with her at the time but Naya used the last of her strength to put him back onto the boat, where he was later found safe and sleeping.
To mark the first anniversary of Naya’s funeral on Sunday, her former spouse Ryan shared recent photos of a smiling Josey on Instagram along with the caption: ‘Today…A year ago we laid you to rest. I still can’t believe it. The year has flown by, so fast that it doesn’t seem like it’s been a year at all.
‘Our boy has grown so much. He’s such an explorer, so inquisitive. He’s sweet, so funny, and his laugh always lights up the room. He’s an intuitive soul to say the least. To know him is to love him, everyone that meets him is always smiling’
Ryan added that Josey, now five, is ‘doing ok’ and is a ‘resilient strong kid’.
The 38-year-old actor added: ‘He misses you but knows he’ll see you again, and the invisible string is something that’s helped us out during this ever-evolving transition of your time with us on earth that was unfairly & for reasons we’ll never understand cut short…too soon…’
Acknowledging that July will always be a ‘strange and difficult’ month for the family, Ryan vowed to always share memories of Naya with ‘the brightest star of your legacy left on this Earth, [their] beautiful son, Josey’.
‘Fly high, Rest In Peace, knowing he’s doing 👍 ok…he’s being raised right, and he’s got a lot of family and people around him that love him, and you,’ the post concluded.
Naya and Ryan had briefly dated in 2010 before finding each other again in 2014. They secretly tied the knot in July 2014 and announced they were expecting baby Josey in February 2015.
In 2016, Naya filed for divorce from Ryan before calling off the separation. However, they split again the following year with the divorce finalised in June 2018.
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Despite their turbulent marriage, Naya and Ryan remained good friends and often shared photos of them spending time as a family with Josey until her death.
Naya’s friends and family recently rallied together to mark the first anniversary of her death, with tributes pouring in from celebrities and fans alike.
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