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With news of the Glee star’s recent disappearance, many may now be wondering who is Ryan Dorsey, Naya Rivera’s ex-husband. The 36-year-old actor—who was married to Rivera from 2014 to 2018—is also the father to Rivera’s 4-year-old son, Josey, who was found floating alone in Lake Piru after his mother went missing on Wednesday, July 8.
The former Glee star, 33, reportedly disappeared after renting a motorized pontoon boat with her son for three hours near Ventura County, California. After the boat was not returned on time, reservoir rental staff located it; Rivera’s son was alone and asleep on board while wearing a life vest. According to reports, the boy told authorities that he and his mother had gone swimming, but his mother never came back up to the boat. Search-and-rescue operations are still underway at the time of writing.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has since confirmed that Josey is “in good health.” Captain Eric Buschow added, “The family is going through a very traumatic time right now,” and that must certainly include Dorsey. The Blood Father actor—whose Twitter bio even includes the hashtag, #dadlife—is a dedicated co-parent to his and Rivera’s son.
Beyond that, the proud Dad has also played an important role in Rivera’s life for a long time. Here’s everything we know about Dorsey and his relationship to Rivera over the years.
Who is Ryan Dorsey?
A proud West Virginian, Ryan Dorsey is also an actor like Naya Rivera. While he never starred alongside his future-wife during her time playing cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee, he has held some notable roles in television series ranging from Shameless to Ray Donovan.
When did Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera get married?
The pair reportedly met way back in 2010, just a few months following Glee‘s premiere. The couple reportedly split soon after so that Rivera could “focus on her career,” according to People. But the pair remained friends throughout her following relationships.
Rivera went on to date Glee co-star Mark Salling until 2011. Salling—who was later charged with possession of child pornography in 2016 and subsequently committed suicide in 2018 after pleading guilty—reportedly dumped Rivera at the behest of his publicist. By 2013, Rivera moved on and was engaged to rapper Big Sean for six months before also calling it quits.
According to People, Rivera reconnected with Dorsey shortly thereafter, and within three months, the pair were married. “The media eschewed it into this whole thing,” Rivera told the outlet. Instead, the pair were “longtime friends. Rivera wrote in her 2016 memoir, “By the time we sort of reconnected, I was like, ‘Gosh, there’s a reason why you keep coming back in my life and we keep coming back together.’”
When did Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera get divorced?
Rivera initially filed for divorce from Dorsey in November 2016, but the pair seemed to have reconciled things by September 2017 when Rivera filed to dismiss the original divorce request. Yet by December of 2017, the Glee alum filed for divorce a second time. Their divorce was finalized June 2018.
“After much consideration, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple told PEOPLE in a statement at the time. “Our priority is and always will be our beautiful son that we share together. We will continue to be great co-parenting partners for him. We ask for respect and privacy for our family during this difficult time.”