Ryan Dorsey Shares Touching Naya Rivera Birthday Tribute, Son Still Questioning Rivera’s Absence

It's been nearly three years since Naya Rivera's tragic death, and all these years later, Ryan Dorsey says he still has no answers to "the why's" their 7-year-old son asks about his late mom, and Dorsey says he never will.

The 39-year-old actor on Thursday took to Instagram and paid tribute on what would have been Rivera's 36th birthday with a photo of the late actress smiling while dressed to the nines. In the photo, Rivera's seen wearing a yellow checkered coat while her and Dorsey's son, Josey, is looking up in awe. In another photo, Rivera's seen dressed casual while sitting on the couch, and Josey once again is right by her side.

"A little easier with each little bit of time that passes by to look at pictures," Dorsey began his caption, "but I still don’t have the answers to the questions to the why’s our sweet boy asks from time to time. I never will."

Dorsey, who was married to Rivera from 2014 to 2018, said the family is "doing the best we can" while imploring fans to enjoy each minute they have with their loved ones.

"If you’re reading this no matter what you’re going through, take a moment of gratitude that you’re still here on this ride," he continued in his caption. "I know some days are harder than others to get up, but keep we just gotta keep pushing onward. 🫶."

Rivera went missing in July 2020 following a boat ride with her then-4-year-old son on California's Lake Piru. Her body was recovered five days later. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department said Rivera's final moments were heroic as she helped her son to safety. 

"We know from speaking with her son, that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey. It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind," Sheriff Bill Ayub said. "He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water."

In the years since, Rivera and Dorsey's baby boy has graduated from kindergarten and started the first grade last fall.

And, just last month, Investigation Discovery released the chilling trailer for The Price of Glee. The three-part docuseries examines the dark side of the series on and off-screen, with a look at the sudden deaths of three of the series' leads -- Rivera (Santana Lopez), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson) and Mark Salling (Noah "Puck" Puckerman). 

The Price of Glee premieres Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. EST on ID. The series will stream on Discovery+ the same day. 

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