THE former husband of Naya Rivera has revealed their son’s heartbreaking words over her tragic drowning accident.
In 2020 Glee star Naya – who was 33 at the time – died after drowning while out on a boat in Lake Piru, California with son Josey.
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Naya was declared missing on July 8, 2020 and Josey, who was just four-years-old, was later found asleep and alone.
Tragically the actress’s body was discovered five days later floating near the surface of the lake. It was later revealed Naya got into trouble while swimming in the lake.
Five years on from the devastating accident, Ryan Dorsey, 41 – who was married to Naya from 2014 to 2018 – has shared that Josey, now nine, not only remembers the day but also blames himself for being unable to save Naya.
Speaking to People, Ryan said: “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.
“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.”
Ryan confessed he is doing his best to make sure Josey knows the accident wasn’t his fault.
He continued: “You can only give him a hug and tell him, ‘I know, life is not fair. Bad things happen and there’s no reason for it, and you just have to do your best to be a good person’.
‘It’s hard trying to explain things that you can’t really make sense of no matter what age you are.
‘I’m not a big believer in everything happens for a reason because I can’t ever think of a reason why he doesn’t have his mom.’
Naya shot to fame after playing Santana Lopez in Glee from 2009 until 2015.
She and Ryan tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas just three months after getting together – on the exact date Naya had been due to marry her ex, rapper Big Sean, before their split.
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