With Thursday, August 13 marking one month since Naya Rivera was found in Lake Piru, California, after she went missing July 8, many are wondering how the late Glee star’s four-year-old son, Josey, is currently coping with the tragic loss of his mother.
According to ET, while it has been “an unbelievably difficult time for her family and loved ones,” Rivera’s son, who the actress shared with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, is “doing better every day.”
“Ryan’s whole world is Josey right now,” the publication was told. “Ryan is still grieving and is very much struggling with the loss of Naya, but he stays strong and keeps going for the sake of his son.”
“Ryan would do anything for Josey. Right now, he’s really laying low and staying out of the public eye so he can completely focus on Josey and try to figure out how to navigate this new normal.”
It comes after Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub revealed the heartbreaking news that the 33-year-old “mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself” after she and Josey hired a pontoon boat to take out on the notoriously dangerous lake.
Josey was found asleep and alone on the vessel which prompted the search for Rivera and had later authorities he and his mother had both gone swimming in the lake, a recreational reservoir about 80 kilometres north of downtown Los Angeles.
In the wake of her tragic death, the star’s Glee colleagues announced they would be creating a college fund to raise money for Josey.
“Naya was more than just an actor on our show — she was our friend,” creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan said.
“Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mum, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family, and her son Josey,” they added. “The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.”
Naya Rivera was known best for her role as cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee during it’s run from 2009-2015.
