The 2020 death of Glee actress Naya Rivera is still a raw and difficult topic for Ryan Dorsey and his son. During a recent interview with E! News, Ryan opened up about how he's helping 7-year-old Josey "navigate" his complicated feelings about his mother's drowning.
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Naya was killed during a boating trip when Josey was 4
Ryan talked about how he helps his son deal with the conversations that he inevitably has to have when people figure out who he is. "A lot of the kids find out what his dad does for work," the actor explained. "They'll also find out about his mom, which is always something that's tough to navigate."
Josey still grapples with his mom's death every day
"It's always a reminder of the obvious," Ryan continued. "Something that's never going to change is what happened and him having to deal with it daily. As he crosses these milestones as a kid growing up, kids talk about their moms at school and dealing with his situation is very unique."
We can't even begin to imagine the complicated layers to Josey's feelings, especially since he was with his mother when she died.
Naya and Josey were alone on a lake when it happened
The pair had rented a boat to sail around Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. According to Josey's own recounting of the events of that day, they had jumped off the boat into the water.
While Naya was able to help her son get back onboard, she struggled and yelled out for help before slipping under the surface. Her body was later recovered by authorities and her death was ruled an accident.
Ryan also spoke about how his son is dealing with things
It sounds like some days are a bigger struggle for Ryan and Josey than others. "It's hard for me when Josey will say certain things and if he misses his mom… or he'll bring up certain moments that obviously he'll never forget from the worst day of his life," he revealed.
On those days, Ryan gives his son a little extra love and plenty of hugs.
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Most of the time, Ryan can't even stand to look at photos of Naya
He said that while he's strong for his son, he still has his own struggles when it comes to the loss of his ex. "To be honest, it's still extremely hard for me," he admitted.
"I can't watch videos," he continued. "Pictures are still hard to look at. We have pictures in the house here. It's like that thing you try to avoid. Every now and then, I'll make eye contact with these pictures, whether it's the three of us or just her and him. It's just really hard to accept."
Although Naya is clearly missed by both Ryan and Josey, it seems like Ryan is doing everything he can to help his son process what happened and heal. Hopefully that gives them both a little comfort.
