Naya Rivera’s Ex-Husband Responds to “Illogical” Rumors About His Relationship With the Late Actress’s Sister; ‘I can’t believe this is real life’

Credit: Getty Images; nickaylarivera/Instagram

In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday, Naya Rivera’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey offered insight into his life after Rivera’s tragic death in July. He also explained how difficult it has been for him to raise a grieving child in the midst of his own battle with grief.

In the emotional video, Dorsey also responded to the haters who have criticized his decision to move in with Naya Rivera’s sister, Nickayla Rivera, in order to help care for his son, Josy. He condemned the “ill-advised, illogical, misinformed” rumors that painted his relationship with Nickayla as anything but platonic.

The video came in the wake of several salacious headlines and quotes from “sources” who dubiously claimed that Dorsey and Nickayla Rivera were “fooling around”, “chatting” and “obviously helping lift each other’s spirits.”

In his Instagram video, Dorsey offered further insight into his decision to move in with Nickayla Rivera.

“[Josey] asked me if Titi can live with us…because she’s now the closest thing that he has to a mom,” he said. “Because you’re going to need all the help you get as a single parent, trying to build your career, and navigate this disaster with your child. You deal with it every hour of every day for 80-plus days now.”

 “After all he’s had to go through, how could you deny him that? And because of what? What some strangers might think or say?” he asked.

Dorsey explained how he has had to help his son cope with the death of his mother.

“You tell him [Naya is] an angel now and she’s with God and she’s in heaven, and he says ‘I wanna go there. How do I get there?’ I wouldn’t wish that upon any of your ears to have to hear that. To hear those words come out of the sweetest soul you know.”

Dorsey also explained how his grief has been magnified by photographers hounding him, trying to spin photos of him with Nickayla into a “false narrative”.

Initially, the negative press subsequently prompted a group of trolls and critics to leave a slew of hateful comments and messages on his social media. In Dorsey’s video, he revealed that he’s receiving “terrible messages” from strangers who are “wishing death” upon him for what they perceive to be inappropriate behavior.

But Dorsey explained to his followers that a romance is the last thing on his mind. “Talking about ‘relationships’?” he asked incredulously. “S—t man, I wish I was worried about a relationship right now, not thinking about this and living with this everyday.”

Nickayla herself has also taken to her Instagram stories to defend herself from the trolls who are peddling a false narrative about her relationship with Dorsey.

“In the darkest time of my life, the only thing that is important is my friends & family,” she wrote. “I’m not concerned with the way things look because no one can see each agonizing moment we all endure.”