Ryan Dorsey has opened up about feeling "devastated" for his son in the wake of the death of his former wife, Naya Rivera.
On 8 July 2020, Glee star Naya went missing after renting a boat with her son, Josey, to go swimming at Lake Piru in California.
Josey, who was four years old at the time, was the last person to see the 33-year-old in the water.
Five days later, on 13 July, it was confirmed that Naya had tragically died from accidental drowning. Before she went under, she had managed to save her son by helping him back into the boat.
In a new interview with Us Weekly, Ryan, Naya's ex-husband and Josey's father, reflected on the harrowing aftermath of the tragedy.
"I remember laying there with (Josey) in a state of shock," the actor told the outlet. "Looking at this beautiful boy and grateful that he's OK."
He continued, "When he woke up, he said, 'Dad, what are you doing here?' I said, 'I came to be with you.' He told me, 'They can't find Mommy. I hope they find her, but I think she might be dead.' I was devastated for him, for me, for everyone."
Following Naya's shocking death, Ryan decided to move with Josey from Los Angeles to his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, in search of a fresh start.
Now, five years on, the 41-year-old has shared that he and his son - now nine - have settled into what he describes as a "surreal" yet happy routine.
Ryan also emphasised his efforts to keep Josey closely connected with Naya's family, saying his son "talks with (his) grandma and all the uncles," who remain "very involved" in his life.
Naya and Ryan were married from 2014 until 2018.
Source: © Cover Media