Six years after Naya Rivera’s drowning death, her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey is opening up about how he and their 10-year-old son, Josey, keep the late “Glee” star’s memory alive.
Rivera died on July 8, 2020, after a boating trip at Lake Piru in California. Josey, who was 4 at the time, was found on the boat after he had fallen asleep. Rivera’s body was recovered five days later.
Dorsey, speaking in a recent interview, described how Josey has been taking piano lessons for over a year, a pursuit Dorsey believes Rivera would have appreciated. "Your mom — she’s always listening," Dorsey told his son. "You don’t understand now, but one day when you’re an adult or maybe even a teenager, you’re going to thank me. You’re never going to quit as long as you’re living with me."
The father and son also maintain a "Mommy Garden" in their yard, filled with perennial roses and flowers. Josey is responsible for watering it, a task that Dorsey views as a way to care for Rivera’s memory.
Their dog, a female named Clifford with the middle name Marie, also serves as a reminder of Rivera. "He wanted a boy dog, and I said, ‘Well, that’s all they got’. … So he named her Clifford. And her middle name is Marie, like his mom. So it’s Cliffy Marie," Dorsey explained.
Dorsey noted that Josey sometimes inadvertently reminds him of Rivera through his "little laughs and voices" and his conversational nature. "He does certain things — little laughs and voices that I don’t even know that he knows that she used to do — well, I tell him — that remind me of silly things that she used to do and say," Dorsey recalled.
Despite the tragedy, Dorsey emphasized Josey's resilience. "For all he’s been through,” he said, “he’s a super happy, charming, busy, smart kid."
Dorsey acknowledged that the first week of July is a difficult time. "It’s always the first week of July. I purposely don’t know exactly what day it was because the whole process was just, like, one long week of a nightmare,” he stated.
When asked if Josey ever discusses "that day," Dorsey said his son doesn't necessarily bring it up. Josey's recollection of the event remains consistent: his mother, who was not wearing a life jacket, used her remaining strength to get him back onto the boat before disappearing under the water. However, Josey has developed a unique sense of humor about the incident, sometimes making comments related to it while swimming.
"It’s sad, but I’m so grateful that he’s got that spirit. He’s pretty resilient and happy and just lights up every room he walks into," Dorsey added.
After Rivera's death, Dorsey moved from Los Angeles to West Virginia to provide Josey with a quieter upbringing, away from the cost of living and media attention in California. He remains a single parent, focusing on providing for Josey financially, physically, and emotionally while navigating their shared grief.
"It is what it is, and it sucks, but we’re doing the best we can. And you know, the train — what do they say? That s–t don’t stop. Nothing stops," Dorsey said. "I’m always telling Josey, ‘The Reaper’s coming for all of us, brother.’ That’s kind of I think where he gets his somewhat morbid sense of humor from."