Naya Rivera’s Ex Ryan Dorsey Says They Considered Having Another Baby, Moving to Maui After 2018 Divorce (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

WhenRyan Dorseyis asked what he wishes he could tell his late ex-wifeNaya Riveraon set at his PEOPLE shoot in Malibu, Calif., on Feb. 3, he takes a long pause to think.

“I wish it would’ve worked out,” the actor, 41, says finally, tears welling up in his eyes. “I wish we could have worked everything out, had a few kids, lived happily ever after. But that’s not the way life works for everybody.”

Dorsey’s life was turned completely around on July 8, 2020, whenRivera drowned at 33while swimming off a rental boat with theirson Josey, now 9, in Lake Piru in Ventura County, Calif. For five days, search-and-rescue divers looked for Rivera.

“It was the worst five days of my life,” says Dorsey. “There was a fear, what if we don’t find her? It was just awful.”

Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey with son, Josey.Ryan Dorsey/Instagram

Ryan Dorsey/Instagram

The search concluded on July 13, when Rivera’s body was found in a remote part of the lake. Even as the five-year anniversary of theGleestar’s death approaches this summer, Dorsey says reminders are still everywhere.

Ryan Dorsey and son Josey at Calamigos Guest Ranch in Malibu, Calif., on Feb. 3.Anais & Dax

Anais & Dax

Dorsey and Rivera’s love story began during a night out in 2010. Rivera’sGleecostarHeather Morrisapproached him and said, “My friend [Naya] thinks you’re cute. Go talk to her.”

“I’m not the approaching type of guy,” Dorsey says. “So Naya finally walked up and said, ‘What’s your name?’ That’s how we started talking.”

Through the years, Rivera and Dorsey dated on and off, but “when we were apart, I always thought about her,” he says. “I thought she was someone that I could marry, because we were just so silly and we got each other.”

They officially rekindled their romance after Rivera split from her ex-fiancé, rapperBig Sean, in April 2014.

“The girl I was talking to would always see these headlines or pay attention to TMZ, and she knew of our history, so she was like, ‘Oh, did you see what happened to your girl?'” Dorsey recalls. “I forget what the drama was, but I reached out. I sent an email, like, ‘Hey, I saw this happened. I hope you’re doing all right.’ She responded, ‘Where are you?’ We met up and had dinner, and that was kind of the catalyst for us starting to get back together.”

Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey in 2014.Jonathan Leibson/Getty

Jonathan Leibson/Getty

They wed on July 19, 2014, Dorsey’s birthday, and when they found out they were pregnant with Josey, “I jumped up and started crying,” Dorsey remembers.

Things took a rocky turn in their relationship in 2016 when Rivera filed for divorce but had the filing dismissed months later. In 2017 Rivera wasarrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic batteryafter she allegedly hit Dorsey while taking Josey, then 2, for a walk. She filed for divorce for a second time shortly after, and the charge was dismissed at Dorsey’s request.

“It was a monumental disaster,” says Dorsey, who plans to share more details about the arrest in an upcoming memoir.

Ryan Dorsey and son Josey at Calamigos Guest Ranch in Malibu, Calif. on Feb. 3.Anais & Dax

As he navigates life without Rivera, Dorsey is focused on being strong for Josey.

“I’m trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man," he says. “He gives me a reason to keep going with my life.”

source: people.com