Naya Rivera's Son Tried To Throw Rope To Save Her, Ryan Dorsey Says

Transcript

00:00Naya Rivera's ex, Ryan Dorsey, is reflecting on the Glee stars' accidental drowning and

00:05its impact on their son.

00:06The Justified actor spoke exclusively to People magazine in a rare interview about the tragedy,

00:11which occurred in July of 2020 during an excursion on a rental pontoon boat on Lake Piru in California.

00:17Ryan said that Josie, who is now nine, has spoken to him a lot about that day when he

00:21and Naya went swimming together.

00:23He shared,

00:24Something Josie said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft and there

00:28was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope and he was too scared to throw it.

00:32I kept reassuring him, buddy, that rope wasn't going to be long enough.

00:36Ryan also shared,

00:37He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn't

00:41see her anymore.

00:42It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.

00:46The actor also reflected on his understanding of what happened, saying,

00:49I guess the boat was getting away from them, and she told him to go back to the boat, and

00:53he swam back to the boat, and I still can't figure out.

00:56It doesn't make much sense how he was able to get on and she wasn't.

00:59Josie was found alone sleeping on the boat after the incident, and authorities said in

01:03a press conference that they believed Naya had used all of her strength to get Josie

01:06to safety before she drowned.

01:09Ryan later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ventura County, where Lake Piru is

01:12located, and the suit was settled in 2022.

01:15He and Josie have since moved to West Virginia and keep Naya's memory close.

01:19Ryan told People Magazine,

01:20We made this book of memories for Josie that sits by his bed, and during the holidays he

01:25was crying looking at it.

01:26You can only give him a hug and tell him, I know, life is not fair.

01:30Bad things happen, and there's no reason for it, and you just have to do your best to be

01:33a good person.

01:34He added that through it all, Josie is still, quote, such a happy kid, saying,

01:39I'm trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man.

01:42He gives me a reason to keep going with my life.

01:45Ryan also shares his memories of Naya in social media posts.

01:48Last month, he commemorated what would have been her 38th birthday with a tribute, writing,

01:53Happy heavenly birthday, five birthdays since you've been gone, thoughts every day about

01:57how it went wrong, the memories attached to places, still see all the things, see our

02:02faces, visions of happiness and sadness, 15 years flashed by when I hear a certain song,

02:07I shake my head often, still in disbelief, they say time heals all, but all is not grief,

02:13doing the best I can for our Jojo Binks.

02:15He also shared this heartfelt message to all, be kind to the ones you love, you'll never

02:19know when you give your last hug.