Forever love. Ryan Dorsey paid tribute to his late ex-wife, Naya Rivera, on her 34th birthday, sharing a family photo of the pair with their son, Josey.
“Just as surreal as it is real that you’re gone,” Dorsey, 37, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, January 12. “If that makes sense, but none of this still makes any sense … 34.”
The Yellowstone alum, who was spotted visiting the actress’ grave in L.A. on Tuesday, added: “I could just hear you saying ‘Ah, I’m old AF now!’ Ha … Rest easy old lady …❤️ 💫 🤍🖤💫❤️.”
Dorsey posted a black-and-white selfie of himself smiling alongside Rivera as she held their 5-year-old son. His heartfelt message came six months after she died in an accidental drowning at a California lake in July 2020.
The former Glee star was reported missing on July 8 after taking out a boat with the former couple’s son. Five days later, she was pronounced dead after her body was recovered by authorities.
Two months later, Dorsey spoke out about his grief following Rivera’s death and after he was photographed with the actress’ sister, Nickayla Rivera, in early September.
“I probably lost a little over 20 pounds. I don’t get good sleep. I’m sad every day,” the Justified alum said in an Instagram video at the time. “I wake up, I go to sleep sad every night, staring at the ceiling. I’m staring at the wall and I think to myself, how lucky I am to, to still have my mom and to have her help out in my life still. And then I think about how he won’t have that same opportunity in his future.”
Dorsey, who was married to the Step Up: High Water star from 2014 to 2018, described how heartbreaking it is telling your child that his mom is “an angel now.”
He then addressed speculation that he had since begun living with Naya’s sister after they were spotted moving in L.A., saying Josey “asked me if Titi can live with us.” Dorsey noted that he had to let his son “get what he wants, you know, what he asks for and what he needs right now, which is his family. Even though you know it’s temporary and it’s not forever.”
The West Virginia native filed a wrongful death lawsuit in November on behalf of Josey. Dorsey is suing Ventura County, California, where Naya died, as well as United Water Conservation District and the county’s Parks and Recreation Management for wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The following month, Naya’s former Glee costars honored her memory by having a holiday fundraiser for her favorite charity. The group raised $117,900 on a GoFundMe page titled SNIXXMAS Charity Drive for the Alexandria House in Los Angeles.
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