Naya Rivera was confirmed dead after her body was discovered in Lake Piru earlier this month. The 33-year-old Glee actress had been missing following an outing with her 4-year-old son Josey. Rivera is believed to have accidentally drowned while swimming with her son.
In the days after her passing, Rivera's friends and co-stars paid tribute to the late actress with emotional statements on social media. Her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey, who was present at Like Piru throughout the search for her body, did not publicly address the loss of his son's mother in the direct aftermath of her passing. Dorsey broke his silence on Saturday (July 26), however, and thanked his friends, fans and followers for their support during this tragic time.
"This is so unfair...there's not enough words to express the hole left in everyone's hearts," Dorsey began his lengthy statement on Instagram. "I can't believe this is life now. I don't know if I'll ever believe it. You were just here... We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn't fair. I don't know what to say...I'm thankful for our times and our journey that brought us together and gave us the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for."
"I remember sometimes you used to get annoyed at me: 'Ryan can you stop snap chatting!' Haha. I'm glad I didn't listen to you because I have hundreds and probably thousands of snaps and videos that Josey will have forever and know his momma loved him more than life, and how much fun we had together as he was growing up," he continued. "Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. He'll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you."
Dorsey also took some time to write a heartfelt thank you to everybody who reached out to him in the wake of Rivera's disappearance. "Thank you all for the overwhelming love and support you've sent our way. I'll just say in closing, be kind to yourself, be kind to others, forgive...forget...don't hold grudges....if you have nothing nice to say maybe try not to say anything. There's peace in silence. Time on Earth is precious and you just never know....you never know what could happen. Hold your loved ones close, and cherish the times you have with those you care about," he concluded.
Photo: Getty