Josey Dorsey, Son of Naya Rivera, Secures First Film Role Six Years After Her Passing

POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Josey Hollis Dorsey, the 10-year-old son of the late Naya Rivera, is poised to make his cinematic debut alongside his father, Ryan Dorsey. This comes six years after the untimely death of the Glee actress.

Josey will appear in “The Burning Valley,” a drama penned and directed by Evan Coury. The film is currently in production in Pennsylvania. In the movie, Josey and his father will portray characters named “Father” and Boy, respectively, with Tyler Miles taking on the role of Nick Pope.

This film role follows Josey’s 2024 stage performance in “Seussical Jr” in West Virginia. The father and son had relocated to the state from Los Angeles the previous year.

Naya Rivera, who was 33, tragically drowned in California’s Lake Piru on July 8, 2020. She had taken her then four-year-old son on a boating excursion. When they failed to return to the marina, a search was initiated. Josey was discovered alone on the rented pontoon boat, clad in a life jacket. He recounted to investigators that they had gone swimming, and while he managed to climb back aboard, his mother did not.

Rivera’s body was retrieved from the lake five days later. The Ventura County medical examiner determined that her death was due to accidental drowning.

Rivera gained fame for her role as Santana Lopez on the Fox series Glee from 2009 to 2015. She began her acting career as a child, featuring in TV shows like The Royal Family and Family Matters before her breakthrough on Glee.

Rivera and Dorsey tied the knot in Mexico in July 2014 and welcomed Josey in September the following year. However, in November 2016, Rivera filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking sole custody of their son. Despite attempts to reconcile, their divorce was finalized in 2018.

In November 2020, four months after Rivera’s death, Dorsey filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and the area’s water management district on Josey’s behalf. The lawsuit alleged that Lake Piru had a deadly history, with at least 26 drowning deaths since its opening in 1959. The family and estate reached a private settlement in 2022.

Despite the end of their marriage, Dorsey and Rivera continued to co-parent Josey. After Rivera’s death, Dorsey expressed in a tribute that the actress had left behind “the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for.”

In a 2025 interview with People, Dorsey described Josey as such a happy kid. He wakes up happy, full of energy. I’m striving to be the best parent I can be and raise a good little man. He gives me a reason to keep moving forward with my life, Dorsey said.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)