Ryan Dorsey Reflects on Naya Rivera’s Tragic Drowning Five Years Later

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In a heartfelt interview with PEOPLE, actor Ryan Dorsey opens up about the harrowing day in July 2020 when his ex-wife, Naya Rivera, tragically drowned while swimming with their son, Josey, now 9. Five years later, Dorsey reflects on the emotional aftermath and how he has navigated parenthood without Rivera.

Dorsey, 41, recalls receiving a devastating call while shopping in a Ralphs supermarket for a friend’s birthday. Rivera’s mother’s husband informed him that Rivera was missing after taking Josey swimming in Lake Piru, California. “I instantly said, ‘What do you mean? She knows how to swim,’” Dorsey shared. “I collapsed into a pallet of drinks.”

During the drive to Lake Piru, a 145-mile journey filled with panic, he said, “I drove 100-and-something the whole way with my four-way hazards on, chain-smoking cigarettes — and I don’t even smoke, really — and just crying. I just wanted to get to Josey.” Josey was later found asleep on the rental boat they had taken out, while Rivera, 33, drowned attempting to save him.

The search-and-rescue operation lasted five days, culminating in the discovery of Rivera’s body in a remote area of the lake. “It was the worst five days of my life,” Dorsey said. “There was a fear, what if we don’t find her? It was just awful.” He added that the experience took a toll on him physically, resulting in a 40-pound weight loss due to stress.

Josey, who witnessed the last moments of his mother’s life, has vivid memories of that tragic day. “He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore,” Dorsey said, his voice breaking. “It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.”

Processing his mother’s drowning has been difficult for Josey, who occasionally expresses guilt about the incident. “Something he’s said over and over is that he was trying to find a life raft,” Dorsey explained. “There was a rope, but there was a big spider on the rope, and he was too scared to throw it.” Dorsey reassures him that the rope wouldn’t have been long enough to have made a difference.

Dorsey doesn’t believe there is a rational explanation for Rivera’s accident. “I think she just got caught up in a brush — that or a weird undercurrent from the dam. It was just a freak occurrence.” He continues to grapple with the guilt of not being there that day, contemplating what he might have done differently.

Life for Dorsey and Josey took another turn when they moved back to West Virginia. “When we were living in L.A. for the two years after Naya’s death, I was auditioning in my garage, rent was $6,000 a month…It didn’t make sense to stay because COVID changed our industry,” he said. “West Virginia is just a completely different place. There’s not much to do, but it feels safe.”

Reflecting on the challenges of single fatherhood, Dorsey noted, “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.”

Dorsey now aims to keep Rivera’s memory alive in their son’s life. He plans to throw a significant birthday celebration for Josey’s upcoming 10th birthday. “I’m trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man,” Dorsey said. Ultimately, he believes his son gives him the strength to keep moving forward.