In the months following her tragic death in the summer of 2020, speculation began spreading that Naya Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey had allegedly struck up a romance with her sister.
Rivera was just 33 years old when she and her then four-year-old son Josey rented a boat on 8 July 2020, and spent the afternoon swimming in Lake Piru, California.
Sadly, however, whilst on the water, a tragic accident occurred which saw the TV star sacrificing her life for that of her little boy.
The youngster was discovered by police sleeping in a life jacket onboard the rental boat with his mother nowhere to be seen.
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After a couple days of searching for Rivera, her body was discovered in a remote part of the lake, with an investigation into her death revealing that she had drowned as a result of exhaustion when rescuing her son.
Her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, who'd been married to the Glee actor between 2014 and 2018, went on to take full guardianship of Josey, and this week, he spoke to press about the impact Rivera's death had on her family for the first time in five years, where he decided to set the record straight about the rumours.
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In his interview with PEOPLE, Dorsey reflected on the months after Rivera's funeral, when he and his son were forced to adapt to life without her.
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The father-son duo were living in Los Angeles at the time, with Dorsey now crediting 30-year-old Nickayla, who moved in with them following her sister's death, for the support she gave them during their most difficult moments.
"She was such a big help," he told PEOPLE. "I wanted to keep [Josey's] life somewhat normal, and I knew I was going to be out of town working.
"I had to go to Vancouver for five months and Josey came the last month to stay with me, but during the time I was gone she held it down and kept that consistency."
Dorsey added that Nickayla had served as 'somewhat of a female figure' in Josey's life, who'd often provide the 'other voice of reason'.
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"It was very surreal sometimes because the way she would say things to Josey would sound like his mom," he continued.
The father-of-one insisted, however, that no matter how things appeared to the media, he and Nickalya never embarked on a romantic relationship - with one instance of the pair being pictured shopping together for gifts for Josey's fifth birthday making their way into headlines.
"The funny thing is, it did look like we were holding hands, but we grazed fingers on the escalator, and then it was this whole thing," Dorsey addressed the photos in question.
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"That was the only time I've ever addressed anything on social media because it was just so insane."
He added that he became further baffled by online conspiracy theories, which accused he and Nickayla of having 'had something to do with' Rivera's disappearance.
"People were tagging the FBI," Dorsey looked back.
"Just f***ing insane."
Topics: Naya Rivera, Celebrity, US News
Rhianna Benson