Naya Rivera’s sister, Nickayla Rivera, spoke out about reports that she is living with the late “Glee” star’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey.
She took to Instagram and said, “In the darkest time of my life, the only thing that is important is my friends & family. Showing up for my nephew, even though I can’t show up for myself,” referring to Naya and Ryan’s 5-year-old son, Josey.
Nickayla added, “Im not concerned with the way things look because no one can see each agonizing moment we all endure. What matters most I’ve learned, is to show compassion, not to judge others, & never take a moment of life for granted. I hope you all can do the same.”
Ryan says it was son Josey who asked Nickayla to move in and "live with us forever," because "she's now the closest thing he has to a mom."
In a lengthy video posted to his Instagram page on Tuesday, Ryan took aim at people "who think it's okay to spew hatred ... especially when they make statements about a family who are dealing with a tragedy that I hope is so unimaginable that you or anyone that is close to you ever has to go through."
He opened up about his own grief, revealing that he's lost more than 20 pounds since Naya's death by accidental drowning in July, but most of his message was about how Josey is processing this huge loss in his life.
Ryan says, "He's so smart and you know he witnessed a nightmare right before his eyes," sharing that when he finally had to tell Josey that Naya was in heaven now, his son responded, "Well, I want to go there. How do I get there?"
As for Nickayla, Ryan said that Josey told him,"I want Titi [Nickayla] to live with us forever," adding that she is "the closest thing he has to a mom."
He said that he made the decision to invite Nickayla to move in because he decided to "let [Josey] get what he wants, what he asks for, and what he needs right now, which is his family. Even though you know it's temporary and it's not forever. It's a temporary situation."
"After all that he's had to go through how could you deny him that? Because of what? What some strangers might think or say, or spew some hatred based on some ill-advised, ill-logical, misinformed tabloid?"
He had nothing but praise for Nickayla, whom he said uprooted her own life to step up and help, while also admitting that her being there has helped them through their shared grief.
He said, "You don't always have to be alone with your thoughts and you don't have to be sad any day or night wondering when does it get better. At least you have someone there with you to talk to or just sit in silence and be sad with. You don't have to deal with being completely alone."
As for those speculating that he and Nickayla have sparked something more than family coming together in their grief for a child, he calls it "absurd," and a narrative pushed by tabloids.
"I wish I was worried about a relationship right now," he said. "Not thinking about this and living with this every day."
He then called for all those leaving nasty comments on various posts on both his and Nickayla's Instagram pages to "think twice before they go insert their opinion and jump to conclusions. Think about sending people DM's wishing death upon strangers who are dealing with so much that they know absolutely zero about."
Source: TooFab.
Photo Credit: Getty Images.