Following the accidental drowning of his ex-wife, Glee actress Naya Rivera, in Lake Piru in Southern California, Ryan Dorsey has spoken out for the first time regarding her tragic death.
On July 25, Dorsey, with whom Rivera shared a 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, released a statement via Instagram in which he described his family's grief and "the hole left in everyone's hearts" as well as his gratitude for "all the overwhelming love and support sent our way."
"Time on Earth is precious and you just never know....you never know what could happen," Dorsey wrote. "Hold your loved ones close, and cherish the times you have with those you care about."
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Rivera and Dorsey, whose relationship was notoriously turbulent, filed for divorce in 2016 after only two years of marriage, though the divorce was finalized in 2018. Dorsey and Rivera shared custody of their son.
On July 8, 33-year-old Rivera took her son to Lake Piru for an afternoon of boating, but Josey Hollis Dorsey was found sleeping alone in the boat hours later. After five days of searching, authorities finally found the actress' body and ruled her cause of death as drowning. Based on the testimony of Josey Hollis Dorsey and other witnesses, police concluded that Rivera had been swimming with her son in the lake, and when the currents and wind became too strong she mustered all of her energy to hoist her son on the boat, and had none left to save herself.
"We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn't fair," Dorsey wrote. "I don't know what to say...I'm thankful for our times and our journey that brought us together and gave us the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for."
In addition to many odes and tributes written by coworkers, friends, family, and other celebrities, Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy announced that he and the show's two other collaborators, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, plan to create a college fund for the actress’ son.
"Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us," Dorsey wrote. "He'll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you. Love you Meep."