Naya Rivera’s Ex Ryan Dorsey Says Son Josey Watched Her Glee Live performance Film (Unique)theinsiderinsight

Late star Naya Rivera’s now 9-year-old son Josey not too long ago had a particular second watching his mother in 2011’s Glee: The 3D Live performance Film.

“He sat there and he watched the entire film, and you possibly can see his eyes welling up a bit of bit,” Rivera’s ex-husband and Josey’s dad Ryan Dorsey tells PEOPLE. “However he is a robust boy, and he has a whole lot of content material and episodes. His mother will stay eternally. I feel that is a silver lining of this horrible state of affairs.”

Since Rivera drowned at 33 on July 8, 2020, whereas she was swimming with Josey, then 4, off a rental boat in Lake Piru in Ventura County, Calif., Dorsey, 41, says he is struggled himself to observe Rivera on TV.

“Photos are onerous sufficient,” says the actor. “I am unable to simply sit there and watch her sing. It is onerous for me.”

Whereas this summer season will mark 5 years since Rivera’s demise, Dorsey says the reminders are nonetheless in every single place.

“So many songs make me take into consideration her, like Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie,’ which she sang on Glee, and ‘Sunflower’ by [Post Malone and Swae Lee] as a result of I at all times used to get her sunflowers on Sundays,” he says. “I can simply see Josey within the again seat bobbing his head and singing that tune.”

“Generally they’re glad reminders however a whole lot of instances, even when it is glad, the truth is it is a whole lot of what may’ve been, what ought to’ve been,” he continues. “Loads of second-guessing every little thing and questioning how issues may’ve performed out if the tiniest determination we make actually adjustments the course of occasions of life.”

Since Rivera’s demise, Dorsey has been feeling the load of juggling fatherhood and his profession, particularly as Josey has began asking questions he cannot reply.

“We made this guide of reminiscences for Josey that sits by his mattress, and in the course of the holidays he was crying taking a look at it,” Dorsey says. “You may solely give him a hug and inform him, ‘I do know, life will not be truthful. Dangerous issues occur and there isn’t any motive for it, and also you simply must do your greatest to be a great particular person.’ It is onerous making an attempt to elucidate issues that you would be able to’t actually make sense of it doesn’t matter what age you’re.”

Although Dorsey now lives with Josey in his residence state of West Virginia, he usually travels again to L.A. to go to Rivera’s household and for work (he is at present showing within the CBS hit Tracker and filmed a “very cool” Apple TV+ present within the metropolis that he cannot reveal extra particulars about simply but).

“I like her household a lot: her dad, her mother, her sister, her brother, all of us get alongside so good and we’re all nonetheless shut,” he says. “We’re, clearly, even nearer now, and we keep at grandma’s. He is actually near each side of his household, and we make sure that of that.”

Along with displaying Josey extra of Rivera’s tasks as he will get older, Dorsey goes to maintain her reminiscence alive by throwing their son epic birthday bashes every year.

“I attempt to do good by her by throwing nice birthday events,” he says. “I am going to by no means be capable of do it the best way she would do issues, however I feel I’ve carried out a good job for a pair. For quantity 10 [this September] I’ll throw a blowout. I hope to make her proud by throwing events like she used to throw for him as he will get older.”

Whereas a celebration theme continues to be up within the air, Dorsey says it’s going to doubtless have one thing to do with robots.

“There was a film referred to as Quick Circuit within the late ’80s, and he loves Johnny 5,” Dorsey says. “There is a bunch of replicas on the market, and I have been looking for him a Johnny 5 for years. However he nonetheless loves Johnny 5, and he is actually into engineering and robots. All the flicks I’ve launched him to from the ’80s, like E.T. and The Goonies, he loves all of them. He is such an ’80s soul.”