When did Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey date? Relationship explored as ex pays tribute to actress five years after death

Ryan Dorsey recently shared a heartfelt tribute on his ex-wife, Naya Rivera’s 38th birthday on January 12, 2025.

Rivera passed away on July 24, 2020, due to accidental drowning in Peru. In the Instagram post, he reflected on their time together and expressed his grief over the loss, wishing her a “happy heavenly birthday”. He wrote:

“5 birthdays since you’ve been gone. Thoughts everyday about how it went wrong. The memories attached to places, Still see all the things, see all our faces.” He continued, “Visions of happiness and sadness, 15 years flash by when I hear a certain song.”

He further mentioned in the post that he is doing the best he can for their son JoJo Binx. “Be kind to the ones you love, you’ll never know when you give your last hug,” Dorsey concluded. As the reports indicated, the couple briefly dated in 2010 and eventually tied the knot in 2014. They welcomed their son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, in 2015.

However, their relationship was full of ups and downs, leading to their divorce in 2018. Let us delve deeper into Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera’s relationship as the actor remembers his ex-wife on her birthday.

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Relationship between Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera

Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera met in 2010. However, after dating for a brief period, they reportedly parted ways, as the actress wanted to focus on her career. A few weeks later, she discovered that she was pregnant with Dorsey’s child and decided to have an abortion, according to a report.

Rivera mentioned the abortion in her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry:

“When I made that decision [to have an abortion], I made it by myself, as I feel is the case for a lot of women, and I did not share it with Ryan at the time,” she wrote. However, she told about it to Dorsey when they reignited their relationship a few years later.

A report in Nicki Swift stated that Naya Rivera dated her Glee co-star Mark Salling for three years before she began her relationship with Big Sean in April 2013. Their engagement eventually ended in 2014.

Three months after the Glee actress ended her ties with Sean, she and Dorsey tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in July 2014.

"We feel truly blessed to be joined as husband and wife," the couple told People magazine in a statement. "Our special day was fated and everything we could have ever asked for."

The couple welcomed their only child, Josey Hollis Dorsey, in September 2015. Challenges accompanied their relationship, as the couple filed for divorce in November 2016 before finalizing it in July 2018.

"After much consideration, we have decided to end our marriage. 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." The couple said in a joint statement to People magazine which was released during their divorce.

Naya Rivera was reported missing on July 8, 2020, after she failed to return to the boat she rented with her 4-year-old son on Lake Piru in Ventura County, California.

Rivera, who gained recognition with her role as Santana Lopez on the Fox series Glee, tragically passed away after drowning in Lake Piru on July 8 while enjoying a day out with her son Josey, according to a report in Hello magazine. Her body was recovered five days later, on July 13, by a search and rescue team, reported the Ventura Sheriff's Department.

Josey was discovered asleep in the boat wearing Rivera’s life jacket. She was laid to rest on July 24, 2020.