Naya Rivera’s ex Ryan Dorsey is seen for the first time with their son

EXCLUSIVE: Naya Rivera’s heartbroken ex-husband Ryan Dorsey comforts their four-year-old son Josey after he was found alone on a boat with the Glee star missing – as 100 police continue tragic search of lake

  • Naya Rivera’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey is seen for the first time comforting his young son Josey a day after the Glee actress vanished from a California lake where she’d been boating with their four-year-old son
  • The 33-year-old had rented a pontoon boat on California’s Lake Piru on Wednesday around 1pm, but three hours later, another boater raised the alarm after seeing the boat drifting and the child asleep on board 
  • The four-year-old has said his mother did not climb back on the boat in ‘challenging’ interview with cops 
  • Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Naya in June 2018, was himself visibly upset earlier in the day on Thursday as he woke up to the reality of what had happened 
  • Answering the door Dorsey, 36, was too distraught to answer any questions, simply saying he had to care for his young son
  • Friends said the actor had ‘no idea’ his ex was taking Josey to Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita
  • Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat  
  • Rivera starred as Santana Lopez in 113 episodes of the hit musical series Glee from 2009 to 2015 
  • She was due to start filming a new season of the dance show Step Up  

By Ryan Parry West Coast Editor For Dailymail.com and Grant Hodgson For Dailymail.com and Ruth Styles For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:35 EDT, 9 July 2020 | Updated: 22:07 EDT, 9 July 2020

Advertisement

The heartbroken ex-husband of missing Naya Rivera is seen for the first time comforting his young son just a day after the Glee actress vanished from a California lake where she’d been boating with their four-year-old son.

Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday.

Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Glee star Naya in June 2018, was visibly upset earlier in the day as he woke up to the reality of what had happened.

Answering the door Dorsey, 36, was too distraught to answer any questions, simply saying he had to care for his young son.

Friends said the actor had ‘no idea’ his ex was taking Josey to Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita on Wednesday.

Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat.

The housemate, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Ryan headed up there as soon as their son was found to look after him. He was gone by the time I got home Wednesday. ‘  

The heartbroken ex-husband of missing Naya Rivera is seen for the first time comforting his young son just a day after the Glee actress vanished from a California lake where she’d been boating with the four-year-old

The heartbroken ex-husband of missing Naya Rivera is seen for the first time comforting his young son just a day after the Glee actress vanished from a California lake where she’d been boating with the four-year-old

The heartbroken ex-husband of missing Naya Rivera is seen for the first time comforting his young son just a day after the Glee actress vanished from a California lake where she’d been boating with the four-year-old

Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday

Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday

Doting dad Ryan Dorsey was spotted holding Josey in his arms as they left the home of Naya’s sister, model Nickayla Rivera in Valencia, California on Thursday

Naya's sister, Nickayla Rivera, is seen as a search and rescue mission continued at Lake Piru, California

Naya's sister, Nickayla Rivera, is seen as a search and rescue mission continued at Lake Piru, California

Naya’s sister, Nickayla Rivera, is seen as a search and rescue mission continued at Lake Piru, California

Actress Naya Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon

Actress Naya Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon

Actress Naya Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon

Actress Naya Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon

Rivera is presumed dead after her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, was found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California on Wednesday afternoon, a day after posting a tragic final Instagram (right) with her son which she captioned ‘just the two of us’ 

Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Glee star Naya in June 2018, was visibly upset earlier in the day as he woke up to the reality of what had happened. The couple had married in 2014

Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Glee star Naya in June 2018, was visibly upset earlier in the day as he woke up to the reality of what had happened. The couple had married in 2014

Dorsey, who has joint custody of his son after he divorced Glee star Naya in June 2018, was visibly upset earlier in the day as he woke up to the reality of what had happened. The couple had married in 2014

He added: ‘Naya has been in LA working but I don’t know where she has been living. None of us know any more than what is being reported at this time.

‘Naya hadn’t been in contact with him. She didn’t tell him what she was doing. He had no idea.

‘It’s a horrible circumstance and we’re hoping for the best.’  

Sgt Kevin Donoghue from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, speaking at Lake Piru, said more than 100 police and first responders are now searching for Naya’s body – and the search will go on through the night.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this terrible time and we hope to bring closure for them,’ he said.

The search for the Glee star resumed at first light on Thursday.

It has involved helicopters from the Sheriff’s Office and Coastguard as well as multiple dive teams operating from six boats.  

On Thursday as the search and rescue mission for Naya switched to a recovery mission, Dorsey spent the day with his son at his former sister-in-law’s home.

They ordered food via Uber Eats before Dorsey and Josey left in a black Chevy Tahoe SUV around 1pm to head back to his home in North Hills, Los Angeles. 

Dorsey, wearing a black T-shirt, black baseball cap and shades, appeared the ever supportive father for his young son as he strapped him into a car seat in his car.  

Naya welcomed Josey Hollis in 2015 with then-husband Dorsey, also an actor who has appeared on shows including Ray Donavan and Justified. 

She called her young son ‘my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him’ in her 2016 memoir ‘Sorry Not Sorry.’ 

Rivera and Dorsey divorced in 2018, after Rivera had earlier applied to end the marriage in 2016 but the couple had initially reconciled. 

But on Thanksgiving weekend 2017, Rivera was arrested in West Virginia on suspicion of domestic battery against Dorsey. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said Dorsey later asked that Rivera not be prosecuted. 

Former Glee co-star Matthew Morrison defended Rivera at the time of her arrest, saying she was a ‘great mom’. 

As of Thursday afternoon, the search and rescue mission for Rivera is now being considered a recovery operation.

Answering the door Dorsey, 36, was too distraught to answer any questions, simply saying he had to care for his young son

Answering the door Dorsey, 36, was too distraught to answer any questions, simply saying he had to care for his young son

Answering the door Dorsey, 36, was too distraught to answer any questions, simply saying he had to care for his young son

Friends said the actor had ‘no idea’ his ex was taking Josey to Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita on Wednesday. Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat

Friends said the actor had ‘no idea’ his ex was taking Josey to Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita on Wednesday. Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat

Friends said the actor had ‘no idea’ his ex was taking Josey to Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita on Wednesday. Dorsey’s housemate in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that Dorsey immediately headed to the popular tourist spot as soon as he was notified that their son was found alone on a pontoon boat

The housemate, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Ryan headed up there as soon as their son was found to look after him. He was gone by the time I got home Wednesday'

The housemate, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Ryan headed up there as soon as their son was found to look after him. He was gone by the time I got home Wednesday'

The housemate, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Ryan headed up there as soon as their son was found to look after him. He was gone by the time I got home Wednesday’ 

They ordered food via Uber Eats before Dorsey and Josey left in a black Chevy Tahoe SUV at around 1pm to head back to his home in North Hills, Los Angeles

They ordered food via Uber Eats before Dorsey and Josey left in a black Chevy Tahoe SUV at around 1pm to head back to his home in North Hills, Los Angeles

Dorsey, wearing a black t-shirt, black baseball cap and shades, appeared the ever supportive father for his young son as he strapped him into a car seat in his car

Dorsey, wearing a black t-shirt, black baseball cap and shades, appeared the ever supportive father for his young son as he strapped him into a car seat in his car

They ordered food via Uber Eats before Dorsey and Josey left in a black Chevy Tahoe SUV at around 1pm to head back to his home in North Hills, Los Angeles. Dorsey, wearing a black t-shirt, black baseball cap and shades, appeared the ever supportive father for his young son as he strapped him into a car seat in his car

Naya Rivera in Glee (left) with Heather Morris and Diana Agron in 2009

Naya Rivera in Glee (left) with Heather Morris and Diana Agron in 2009

Naya Rivera in Glee (left) with Heather Morris and Diana Agron in 2009

Rivera had just taken to her social media on July 7, sharing a touching photo of her with her son, Josey Hollis. 'Just the two of us,' she said in the post

Rivera had just taken to her social media on July 7, sharing a touching photo of her with her son, Josey Hollis. 'Just the two of us,' she said in the post

Rivera had just taken to her social media on July 7, sharing a touching photo of her with her son, Josey Hollis. ‘Just the two of us,’ she said in the post 

This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives

This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives

This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives 

The small vessel Naya was using is moored at the dock, marked off with yellow police tape. Sgt Donoghue said her purse and ID was found alongside her son.

There was also a life jacket onboard and her son was wearing a second life jacket.

He also said investigators have CCTV footage from the dock showing only Naya and her son getting onboard the small boat.

‘We know she has been to this lake before and is familiar with it but we aren’t sure whether her son has been here,’ he added.

He said officers are in constant contact with the actress’ family.

‘As far as we understand, her son is physically okay,’ he said.

‘From what I understand, he has told investigators his mother never made it out of the water.

‘The search will go on through the night, we won’t be leaving anytime soon.’

Rescue workers load into a helicopter at Lake Piru as they continue the search for Rivera

Rescue workers load into a helicopter at Lake Piru as they continue the search for Rivera

Rescue workers load into a helicopter at Lake Piru as they continue the search for Rivera

A U.S. Coast Guard search helicopter flies over the area as authorities are now considering the search a recovery operation

A U.S. Coast Guard search helicopter flies over the area as authorities are now considering the search a recovery operation

A U.S. Coast Guard search helicopter flies over the area as authorities are now considering the search a recovery operation

Sgt Kevin Donoghue from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, speaking at Lake Piru, said more than 100 police and first responders are now searching for Naya’s body - and the search will go on through the night

Sgt Kevin Donoghue from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, speaking at Lake Piru, said more than 100 police and first responders are now searching for Naya’s body - and the search will go on through the night

Sgt Kevin Donoghue from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, speaking at Lake Piru, said more than 100 police and first responders are now searching for Naya’s body – and the search will go on through the night

He said the 911 call, made by the concession worker who hired Naya the boat, will be released by the Sheriff’s Office.

The concession worker called police after Naya’s three-hour rental went 90 minutes over time. Josey was found asleep on their drifting boat. 

As search and rescue teams searched the lake on Thursday, local sheriffs gave grim details about the lake which Rivera was familiar with and had been visiting for years.   

Ventura County Deputy Sheriff Chris Dyer said on Thursday that Lake Piru was a ‘sanctuary’ for Naya, she was familiar with the lake and has been going there for years. 

Initially, police had hoped to find the actress alive and were searching the expansive shoreline as well as in the water. 

Now though, they say the mission is a recovery operation. 

Officers have been in constant contact with Rivera's family as they continue to search for her

Officers have been in constant contact with Rivera's family as they continue to search for her

Officers have been in constant contact with Rivera’s family as they continue to search for her

The 911 call, made by the concession worker who hired Naya the boat, will be released by the Sheriff’s Office

The 911 call, made by the concession worker who hired Naya the boat, will be released by the Sheriff’s Office

The 911 call, made by the concession worker who hired Naya the boat, will be released by the Sheriff’s Office

Search parties continue looking for the actress in the lake on Thursday

Search parties continue looking for the actress in the lake on Thursday

Search parties continue looking for the actress in the lake on Thursday

‘There’s no evidence of foul play at this point. This may well be a case of drowning,’ sheriff’s Capt. Eric Buschow  said. 

He said it was an employee who works at the boat shack who found the boat and the child in the north part of the lake. 

‘My indication is that the child was found sleeping on the boat,’ he said at a press conference near the lake Thursday. 

‘I’ve been told Naya Rivera has been coming here for years and she is familiar with the lake. This might be a little sanctuary for her, especially on a Wednesday – no one’s here on a Wednesday so it’s a good day to come. She rented the boat.’ 

Deputy Sheriff Dyer added: ‘We’re not presuming her dead and right now it’s still a search and rescue operation, we’re searching not only the water but the shoreline. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst.’

The senior officer said at this point all signs point to this being a horrible accident.  

Divers search Lake Piru for any sign of Naya Rivera on Thursday morning. The Glee actress vanished after going for a swim from a pontoon boat she had rented with her son

Two of the rescue boats on the water on Thursday morning, looking for Rivera, 33

Two of the rescue boats on the water on Thursday morning, looking for Rivera, 33

Two of the rescue boats on the water on Thursday morning, looking for Rivera, 33 

One of the search and rescue boats looking for Naya Rivera on Thursday morning on Lake Piru

One of the search and rescue boats looking for Naya Rivera on Thursday morning on Lake Piru

One of the search and rescue boats looking for Naya Rivera on Thursday morning on Lake Piru 

A wider view of one of the search and rescue boats shows how vast the lake is. Eight people have drowned there since 1994

A wider view of one of the search and rescue boats shows how vast the lake is. Eight people have drowned there since 1994

A wider view of one of the search and rescue boats shows how vast the lake is. Eight people have drowned there since 1994

The Glee star and her son Josey rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru on Wednesday afternoon, but three hours later another boater raised the alarm

The Glee star and her son Josey rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru on Wednesday afternoon, but three hours later another boater raised the alarm

The Glee star and her son Josey rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru on Wednesday afternoon, but three hours later another boater raised the alarm

The scene of the search after a boater raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon, telling authorities he had seen the four-year-old asleep on a drifting pontoon boat

The scene of the search after a boater raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon, telling authorities he had seen the four-year-old asleep on a drifting pontoon boat

The scene of the search after a boater raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon, telling authorities he had seen the four-year-old asleep on a drifting pontoon boat 

‘There was no collision or signs of struggle,’ he said. ‘We are using our helicopters, we are using our dive teams, we are using sonar equipment and our unmanned aerial drone team.   

‘It’s extremely difficult to search this lake, it goes from depths of 40ft to 5ft. Visibility in the daytime is 8 to 10 inches. At nighttime it’s zero. Everywhere you see a buoy on the lake is a low part.

‘There’s full-grown trees and debris under the lake. It’s been a couple years since someone drowned here in Lake Piru, that an accident’s happened in the lake, but it has happened before,’ he said. 

He added that wind ‘plays a big part’ on the lake because it pushes debris around. 

At least eight other people have drowned in the lake since 1994, including a father who died in 2008 after saving his daughter who’d fallen in to the water. He was able to get her back onto their boat before it drifted away and he died.  

Hoping: Demi shared a picture of a candle and wrote 'please pray for @nayarivera' on Instagram on Thursday

Hoping: Demi shared a picture of a candle and wrote 'please pray for @nayarivera' on Instagram on Thursday

'We need your love and light': Glee co-star Heather Morris also urged fans to pray for her

'We need your love and light': Glee co-star Heather Morris also urged fans to pray for her

Hoping: Demi Lovato shared a picture of a candle and wrote ‘please pray for @nayarivera’ on Instagram on Thursday  

'Pray': Demi Lovato (right) has led the stars posting messages for Naya Rivera (left), who  is presumed dead after going missing on a lake in California (pictured together on Glee)

'Pray': Demi Lovato (right) has led the stars posting messages for Naya Rivera (left), who  is presumed dead after going missing on a lake in California (pictured together on Glee)

Oh God! Iqbal Theba, who plays [Principal Figgins], also shared a concerned post

Oh God! Iqbal Theba, who plays [Principal Figgins], also shared a concerned post

‘Pray’: Demi Lovato (right in the left-hand image) has led the stars posting messages for Naya Rivera (left). Iqbal Theba, who played Principal Figgins, also shared a concerned post

Rivera is believed to be 'presumed drowned' and a search has been launched to locate her body

Rivera is believed to be 'presumed drowned' and a search has been launched to locate her body

Rivera when she was arrested on domestic battery charges in 2017. Charges against her were later dropped

Rivera when she was arrested on domestic battery charges in 2017. Charges against her were later dropped

Rivera is believed to be ‘presumed drowned’ and a search has been launched to locate her body. She is pictured left in May last year, and right when she was arrested on domestic battery charges in 2017. Charges against her were later dropped 

Naya Rivera previously dated Big Sean (pictured together in 2013), before they eventually broke off their engagement

Naya Rivera previously dated Big Sean (pictured together in 2013), before they eventually broke off their engagement

She also dated Glee's Mark Salling (pictured together) who killed himself in 2018 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges

She also dated Glee's Mark Salling (pictured together) who killed himself in 2018 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges

Naya Rivera previously dated Big Sean (pictured together left in 2013), before they eventually broke off their engagement. She also dated Glee’s Mark Salling (right) who killed himself in 2018 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges

In a 1997 Los Angeles Times article, a lifeguard at the lake described how easy it is for inexperienced swimmers to get into trouble on the water. 

Child actor and Glee star: The life of Naya Rivera 

Naya Rivera, age four, as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family

Naya Rivera, age four, as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family

Naya Rivera, age four, as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family

Naya Rivera was born to former model Yolanda Rivera and actor George Rivera on January 12, 1987, in Santa Clarita. 

She began her acting career at just months old, starring as a baby in adverts for Kmart before landing a significant role as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family at the age of four. 

Rivera’s personal life came into in the spotlight during her stint on Glee, which began in 2009. 

She started dating artist Big Sean in April 2013, becoming engaged in October 2013 but ending the relationship six months later – later hinting that she had caught him cheating with singer Ariana Grande.

Talking about the split in her book she wrote: ‘We’d been fighting for five straight days while he was traveling, and then on the one day that he was back in LA, he said he didn’t want to see me.

‘Well, a******, I’ve got a key to your house. I walk in, go downstairs, and guess what little girl is sitting cross-legged on the couch listening to music? ‘It rhymes with ‘Smariana Schmande.”

She then began dating actor Ryan Dorsey, who she had previously dated in her early 20s. The pair married on July 19, 2014 in Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico – using the same date set for her marriage to Big Sean.  

Seven months later they announced they were having a son, Josey Hollis, who was born in September 2015.

In November 2016 the couple filed for divorce. They briefly reconciled until November 2017, when Rivera was arrested and charged in Kanawha County, West Virginia, with misdemeanor domestic battery against Dorsey. 

She allegedly hit him in the head during a row over their child, but charges were later dropped.  The couple finally divorced in 2018  and split custody of Josey. 

Rivera’s stint on Glee won her nominations for numerous accolades. She had secured the breakthrough role at the age of 22 after years playing guest roles and recurring TV parts  in shows including Baywatch and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

During this time, in 2011, she signed to Columbia Records and launched a solo singing career, releasing a single with rapper Big Sean in 2013 – who she was then dating – titled Sorry. 

Rivera made her movie debut as Vera in the horror film At the Devil’s Door in 2014, then returned to TV to play the reoccurring role of Blanca on Devious Maids in 2015.

A year later she published her memoir, at the age of 29, titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.  

Rivera’s brother Mychal Rivera is a former NFL player for the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. Her sister Nickayla Rivera is a model.   

Advertisement

‘Someone will come to the beach, maybe wade out a little, step into a deeper hole or get picked up in a rip current and they begin to panic,’ Steve White, Ventura State Beach lifeguard supervisor, said.

The lake is more comparable to the ocean because it is so vast and deep, he said.  It holds ‘deep columns of chilly water that can overwhelm people’, the report said. 

In recent weeks, Rivera’s social media has been full of posts of the pair at home. 

Rivera had shared a poignant picture of herself and Josey just a day before her disappearance, with the caption ‘Just the two of us’, in a post which has since attracted an outpouring of sympathy and prayers. 

Last week, she shared a selfie about appreciating life, writing: ‘no matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you’re alive is a blessing. make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised.’    

Some are holding out hope that Rivera will be found alive.  

Demi Lovato was among the celebrities to hold out hope last night, asking her 87 million Instagram followers to ‘pray for Naya Rivera to be found safe and sound’. 

Rivera’s former Glee co-star Heather Morris said: ‘We need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back to us… we need your love and light.’ 

Glee cast member Harry Shum Jr, who played Mike Chang, simply wrote ‘Praying’, while Iqbal Theba (Principal Figgins) and Max Adler (David Karofsky) have also posted concerned messages on social media.

Zack Teperman, a publicist who said Rivera was ‘one of the first people I had the honor of working with’, said he was ‘in complete disbelief and shock right now’. 

‘Was just messaging Naya a few weeks back. This can’t be true. Prayers for her little boy,’ he said last night.    

Big Sean signalled his concern this morning by liking a series of tweets praying for her safety and demanding that the search for her should continue. 

Rivera was engaged to rapper Big Sean but they broke off their marriage plans in 2014. 

Big Sean featured on Rivera’s debut single ‘Sorry’, which was released in September 2013. 

Rivera also dated co-star Mark Salling, who committed suicide in 2018 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. 

In her memoir, the actress admitted that she was not surprised by his criminal record.

She wrote: ‘I can’t say I was totally shocked. When Mark dumped me, I thought it was the worst thing ever, but can you imagine if that didn’t happen?… and I was laying there in bed when the battering ram came through the door?’.

The Glee cast had already been hit by tragedy in 2013, when Cory Monteith was found dead in a Canadian hotel room. 

A coroner’s report blamed the 31-year-old’s death on a fatal dose of heroin and alcohol.

Rivera later described Monteith’s death as one of her toughest personal moments, saying in a 2016 interview that ‘the Cory chapter really choked me up’ when she was writing her memoir.  

Born in 1987, Rivera began her acting career at just months old, starring as a baby in adverts for Kmart before landing a significant role as Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family at the age of four.

After years spent playing guest roles and reoccurring TV parts Rivera secured her breakthrough role in Glee at the age of 22. The role earned her award nominations for numerous accolades.

During this time, in 2011, she signed to Columbia Records and launched a solo singing career, releasing a single with rapper Big Sean in 2013 – who she was then dating – titled Sorry.

Rivera made her first film debut as Vera in the horror film At the Devil’s Door in 2014, then returned to TV to play the reoccurring role of Blanca on Devious Maids in 2015.

Lake Piru is a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest and Topatopa Mountains, created in 1955.

Naya Rivera is pictured =at a Golden Globe party in 2016

Naya Rivera is pictured =at a Golden Globe party in 2016

Naya Rivera in an episode of Glee which aired in 2009

Naya Rivera in an episode of Glee which aired in 2009

Naya Rivera is pictured left at a Golden Globe party in 2016 and right in an episode of Glee which aired in 2009

Naya Rivera (left) with co-star Lea Michele in an episode of Glee which aired in March 2014

Naya Rivera (left) with co-star Lea Michele in an episode of Glee which aired in March 2014

Naya Rivera (left) with co-star Lea Michele in an episode of Glee which aired in March 2014 

The Glee Curse: How TV’s cheeriest show has been plagued by tragedy and scandal… including drug overdoses, paedophilia, suicide, domestic abuse and on-set bullying 

By Ciara Farmer for MailOnline 

While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew. 

On Thursday, it was revealed that one of the show’s lead stars, Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, was presumed dead after her son, four, was found alone in a pontoon boat on Lake Piru in California

The heartbreaking news comes among a string of heartbreaks and horrors surrounding the programme, including Cory Monteith’s accidental drug overdose in 2013, Naya’s ex-boyfriend Mark Salling’s conviction for possession of child pornography and subsequent suicide and recent rumours of unrest on-set. 

The programme ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015 and throughout its time on air and the years following, trauma has reigned supreme – leading to claims of a ‘Glee Curse’.

Not so Glee-ful: While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew (Pictured top row L-R: Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum Jr., Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Iqbal Theba, Heather Morris, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch. Bottom row L-R: Kevin McHale, Mark Salling (floor), Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison in 2011)

Not so Glee-ful: While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew (Pictured top row L-R: Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum Jr., Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Iqbal Theba, Heather Morris, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch. Bottom row L-R: Kevin McHale, Mark Salling (floor), Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison in 2011)

Not so Glee-ful: While Glee was easily one of the cheeriest shows to ever grace television screens, behind-the-scenes a murky curse has long-prevailed among its troubled cast and crew (Pictured top row L-R: Chord Overstreet, Harry Shum Jr., Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Iqbal Theba, Heather Morris, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch. Bottom row L-R: Kevin McHale, Mark Salling (floor), Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison in 2011)

NAYA RIVERA’S SUSPECTED DROWNING AND ARREST 

On Thursday 8 July it was revealed that Naya Rivera was missing and presumed dead today after her four-year-old son was found alone on a boat. The star and her son Josey rented a pontoon boat on Lake Piru on Wednesday, but three hours later another boater raised the alarm after seeing the vessel drifting and the child asleep on board.

Naya Rivera played Santana Lopez

Naya Rivera played Santana Lopez

Naya Rivera played Santana Lopez 

Cops found Rivera’s life vest on the boat and believe that ‘she did go in the lake’ to go swimming, acknowledging that ‘this may well be a case of drowning’. Her car was reportedly found nearby.

Four-year-old Josey has told investigators that he got back on the boat and his mother did not, but the circumstances are unclear and cops say it is ‘challenging’ to interrogate a toddler.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department confirmed last night that the missing woman was 33-year-old Rivera, who starred in 113 episodes of the hit musical series from 2009 to 2015. 

Divers and helicopters were scouring the reservoir until darkness fell but no trace of Rivera has been found and the search has been halted until first light.

Naya welcomed son, Josey Hollis, with then-husband Ryan Dorsey in 2015. She called her young son ‘my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him’ in her 2016 memoir ‘Sorry Not Sorry.’

Rivera and Hollis divorced in 2018, after Rivera had applied to end the marriage in 2016 but they had initially reconciled. On Thanksgiving weekend 2017, Rivera was arrested in West Virginia on suspicion of domestic battery against Dorsey. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said Dorsey later asked that Rivera not be prosecuted.

Heartache: On Thursday, it was revealed that one of the show's lead stars, Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez , was presumed dead after her son, four, was found alone in a pontoon boat on Lake Piru in California (Pictured: Naya and Josey, on Friday)

Heartache: On Thursday, it was revealed that one of the show's lead stars, Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez , was presumed dead after her son, four, was found alone in a pontoon boat on Lake Piru in California (Pictured: Naya and Josey, on Friday)

Lost love: Naya welcomed son, Josey Hollis, with then-husband Ryan Dorsey in 2015. She called her young son 'my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him' in her 2016 memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry' (Pictured: Naya and Ryan, in 2015)

Lost love: Naya welcomed son, Josey Hollis, with then-husband Ryan Dorsey in 2015. She called her young son 'my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him' in her 2016 memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry' (Pictured: Naya and Ryan, in 2015)

Heartache: On Thursday, it was revealed that one of the show’s lead stars, Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez , was presumed dead after her son, four, was found alone in a pontoon boat on Lake Piru in California (PICTURED, LEFT, ON FRIDAY, WITH HER SON JOSEY, RIGHT, IN 2015, WITH EX-HUSBAND RYAN DORSEY)

CORY MONTEITH’S FATAL DRUG AND DRINK BATTLE 

In what was the start of the show’s behind-the-scenes demise, on 13 July 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room, after taking a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol. Four months before his death he had completed a stint in rehab.   

Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson

Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson

Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson

Cory was dating Lea Michele at the time of his death. After news broke of his overdose, it was revealed that Lea rang his mother, hysterical and screaming: ‘Is it true?’ Following his passing, she released a statement.

Through her representative, the actress said: ‘Lea is deeply grateful for all the love and support she’s received from family, friends, and fans. Since Cory’s passing, Lea has been grieving alongside his family and making appropriate arrangements with them. They are supporting each other as they endure this profound loss together.’

Lea, who is expecting her first child with husband Zandy Reich, began dating Cory in 2012, and after his death, she said: ‘There was no greater man than Cory. So, for the time we spent together, I consider myself very lucky.’

Five years after his death, Cory’s mother Ann McGregor insisted her son had been on pain medication following dental work to cap his teeth in the weeks before his overdose and that he ‘never meant to die’. 

She said he had battled his fair share of demons from a young age, drinking and smoking marijuana from 13, and with two stints in rehab by the time he was 19. While he managed to get clean for a time, he fell back into bad habits when he went to Hollywood. 

Ann, who admitted her son began using drugs again in December 2012, seven months before his death, said: ‘He wasn’t ready for the Hollywood world. Drugs were his way of checking out’. After his death, she said: ‘I still can’t pick up the pieces. My world totally stopped. And I’m a different person than I was before.’

Heartbreaking: Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show and dated his co-star Lea Michele up to the time of his death, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room (Pictured: Cory and Lea in 2012)

Heartbreaking: Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show and dated his co-star Lea Michele up to the time of his death, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room (Pictured: Cory and Lea in 2012)

Troubled: Four months before his death Cory had completed a stint in rehab (Pictured: Cory in 2010)

Troubled: Four months before his death Cory had completed a stint in rehab (Pictured: Cory in 2010)

Heartbreaking: Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the show and dated his co-star Lea Michele up to the time of his death, was found dead of a drugs overdose aged 31 in his Vancouver hotel room, after taking a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol (PICTURED, LEFT, WITH LEA IN 2012, RIGHT, IN 2010)

MARK SALLING’S HORRENDOUS CHILD PORN CONVICTION AND DEATH 

The most horrific of the show’s woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling’s 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped. It was described as ‘the worst pornography collection the nation has seen’. 

Mark Salling played Noah "Puck" Puckerman

Mark Salling played Noah "Puck" Puckerman

Mark Salling played Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman

Salling, who played Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman on the show, had tried to conceal them by masking his IP address and storing them on an encrypted hard drive. They were revealed to police by an ex-girlfriend who he showed them to. She was sickened and notified authorities. In his plea deal, the extent of his collection was described in harrowing detail.

He was found dead from suicide by hanging on 30 January 2018 near his home in Sunland, Los Angeles. His death came shortly before his sentencing, which was due to take place on March 7. He had attempted suicide the previous year by slashing his wrists, after which he was treated for psychological problems.

Salling dated Naya from 2007 to 2010. In her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up, the actress admitted that she was not surprised by his horrendous convictions. 

She wrote: ‘I can’t say I was totally shocked. When Mark dumped me, I thought it was the worst thing ever, but can you imagine if that didn’t happen?…

‘And I was laying there in bed when the battering ram came through the door?’

Prior to his death, in January 2013, Salling’s ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela accused him of sexual battery by forcing her to have unprotected sex without consent. He denied the charges and filed a countersuit for defamation. In March 2015, they out of court with judges ordering him to pay her $2.7million.

Horror: The most horrific of the show's woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling's 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped (Pictured: Arriving at court in December 2017)

Horror: The most horrific of the show's woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling's 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped (Pictured: Arriving at court in December 2017)

Shocking: He dated Naya from 2007 to 2010. In her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up, the actress admitted that she was not surprised by his horrendous convictions (Pictured: The former couple in 2009)

Shocking: He dated Naya from 2007 to 2010. In her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up, the actress admitted that she was not surprised by his horrendous convictions (Pictured: The former couple in 2009)

Horror: The most horrific of the show’s woes was undoubtedly Mark Salling’s 2015 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 for possession of more than 50,000 images and 600 videos which showed girls, some of whom as young as three, being raped (PICTURED, LEFT, ARRIVING AT COURT IN DECEMBER 2017, RIGHT, WITH EX NAYA RIVERA IN 2009)

LEA MICHELE’S DRAMA BEHIND THE SCENES 

Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set. 

Accusations of on-set bullying began with a tweet from Lea’s co-star Samantha Ware last month, accusing her of being rude to her on-set and behaving with ‘traumatic microaggressions’. 

Lea Michele played Rachel Berry

Lea Michele played Rachel Berry

Lea Michele played Rachel Berry

Others then piled on to the actress with allegations of their own, including Heather Morris, Dabier Snell and Yvette Nicole Brown. Lea was subsequently dropped by her sponsor, HelloFresh. 

Morris, 33, who played cheerleader Brittany S. Pierce on the Ryan Murphy show, claims Michele was ‘very’ unpleasant to work with, saying: ‘Was she unpleasant to work with? Very much so; for Lea to treat others with the disrespect that she did for as long as she did, I believe she SHOULD be called out.’ 

Lea apologised and said she has ‘never judged others by their background or color of their skin.’ She also insisted she will learn from the mistakes she has made so she ‘can be a real role model for my child’ when she gives birth in a couple of months.  

Naya and Lea famously had on-set friction, with the former writing in her book: ‘One of the Glee writers once said that Lea and I were like two sides of the same battery and that about sums us up. We are both strong willed and competitive – not just with each other but with everyone – and that’s not a good mixture…

 ‘We’re all stressed, yes, but we’re all working toward the same goal, so laugh it off and keep it movin’. Lea was a lot more sensitive, though, and it seemed like she blamed me for anything and everything that went wrong.’ 

Shocker: Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set and has since been dropped as an ambassador for Hello Fresh (pictured promoting the brand)

Shocker: Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set and has since been dropped as an ambassador for Hello Fresh (pictured promoting the brand)

Shocking: Accusations of on-set bullying began with a tweet from Lea's co-star Samantha Ware (pictured) last month, accusing her of being rude to her on set and behaving with 'traumatic microaggressions'

Shocking: Accusations of on-set bullying began with a tweet from Lea's co-star Samantha Ware (pictured) last month, accusing her of being rude to her on set and behaving with 'traumatic microaggressions'

Shocker: Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on the show, has been plagued with rumours in recent weeks, after a host of cast and crew members have come forth to accuse the leading lady of bullying on-set (PICTURED, LEFT, LEA FRONTING HELLO FRESH, RIGHT, SAMANTHA WARE ON GLEE SET)

CREW MEMBERS’ PASSING: ‘WE’VE LOST ANOTHER ONE’ 

Between 2013 and 2014, the show saw three heartbreaking deaths. Three months after Cory’s 2013 death, assistant director Jim Fuller passed away in his sleep, from heart failure. 

Production assistant Nancy Motes

Production assistant Nancy Motes

Production assistant Nancy Motes

In Season Four, a subtle shout-out was given to Jim, while Glee cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo wrote on Twitter after his death: ‘This is such sad news. Jim was such a great guy and was so good to me always.’ 

Then in 2014, the cast were left ‘devastated’ by the death of the production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts. Nancy died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. 

She claimed in her suicide note that the actress was so cruel that she ‘drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in’. She described the Oscar-winning star as a ‘so-called sibling’ who should get nothing if she died – except the memory that she pushed her over the edge.

In the handwritten note, which was used as evidence in court amid a legal battle over her estate, Nancy said that Roberts’ abuse had been so bad that ‘I burst into tears because I wake up’.

Following Nancy’s tragic death, fellow production assistant Cristina Lageman spoke to MailOnline about Jim’s death, Nancy’s suicide and the concerns over ‘a curse’ on the show’. 

Cristina said: ‘She was such a good friend to me. It’s just shocking. Yes, she had her own little struggles, but when we got together, we just bonded and she never let them get to her. It’s such a shock, what with Cory passing last year, then we had a crew member, Jim Fuller, die. Now we’ve got this hit and it’s almost too much.

‘Glee was like a family. We spent 12 hours a day together. We would refer to each other as The Glee Family. Colleagues have been posting on Facebook: ‘We’ve lost another one.’ 

Further pain: Production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts, died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner (JULIA ROBERTS AND HER SISTER NANCY PICTURED IN 2002)

Further pain: Production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts, died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner (JULIA ROBERTS AND HER SISTER NANCY PICTURED IN 2002)

Further pain: Production assistant Nancy Motes, the sister of Julia Roberts, died aged 37, after drowning in a bath on February 9, 2014. She was found surrounded by non-prescription and prescription pills, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner (JULIA ROBERTS AND HER SISTER NANCY PICTURED IN 2002)

Heartbreaking: She claimed in her suicide note that the actress was so cruel that she ‘drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in’. She described the Oscar-winning star as a 'so-called sibling' who should get nothing if she died - except the memory that she pushed her over the edge

Heartbreaking: She claimed in her suicide note that the actress was so cruel that she ‘drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in’. She described the Oscar-winning star as a 'so-called sibling' who should get nothing if she died - except the memory that she pushed her over the edge

Heartbreaking: She claimed in her suicide note that the actress was so cruel that she ‘drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in’. She described the Oscar-winning star as a ‘so-called sibling’ who should get nothing if she died – except the memory that she pushed her over the edge

Advertisement

Loading

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow by Email
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Share