This is simply tragic. Naya Rivera was preparing for a bright future with her son by her side prior to her tragic disappearance, multiple sources tell E! News.
Authorities are still searching for the 33-year-old Glee actress, who was presumed dead on Thursday, July 9 in what’s being described by law enforcement as a drowning accident. One day prior, Rivera and her child, 4-year-old Josey Dorsey, rented a pontoon boat at Lake Piru, a reservoir located approximately 50 miles north of Los Angeles.
When the boat was not returned, an employee of the rental facility searched the lake and found the boat with her son on it. The toddler told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming in the lake, and Rivera did not get back on the boat when he did.
Leading up to the accident, one source close to Naya says she was “in a really good place.”
“Probably the best I’ve ever seen her,” the source shares with us. “She finally had a great co-parenting system worked out, and she seemed genuinely really happy. She was excited for new beginnings this year.”
ALSO READ: Charlize Theron has no interest in dating right now
Naya and actor Ryan Dorsey were married for two years prior to their 2016 divorce. They welcomed Josey in 2015, who our source describes as Naya’s entire world.
“Naya and Josey were incredibly close and had a very tight bond,” the source says, adding that Wednesday afternoon’s boating trip would not be a “surprise to anyone” who knew the pair.
“They were always going on fun adventures together. She loved to take Josey places and explore with him,” the source adds. “They were always doing something fun and loved to be outdoors.”
As for the star’s relationship with her ex-husband, a separate source close to Dorsey says they were “really good about co-parenting” and stuck to a “routine.” Despite Josey’s close relationship with his father, the source says he was especially connected to Naya.
“That child was her life,” the source notes. “To say that he will be devastated if his mom never comes back is an understatement.”
Now, as the family comes face to face with their worst fear, the first source says Naya’s loved ones are focused on caring for her son.
“Josey will definitely be looked after by his grandma, who was also extremely close to him, and Ryan,” the insider shares, “but the family is very worried about Josey’s wellbeing. It’s all very tragic and the family is heartbroken and devastated.”
And in a 2019 interview with E! News, Rivera expressed just how much she cared for her little boy.
“Being a mom is always my first priority so everything else can sort of wait,” she said at the time. “Nothing’s more important than that. I just really make sure that I make time and stay organized so that once I pick him up from school, the rest of the day is ours.”
SOURCE: E! News
