Ryan Dorsey is speaking out against the “absurd” rumors that he is dating late ex Naya Rivera‘s sister after the Daily Mail reported Monday that he and Nickayla Rivera were spotted “playfully holding hands” while on a shopping trip after moving into a new home together. The story further reported that Nickayla and Dorsey were supporting each other, as well as Naya and Dorsey’s 5-year-old son Josey, following the accidental drowning death of the Glee star in July.
In a 12-minute video shared to Instagram Tuesday night, Dorsey condemned the “ill-advised, illogical, [and] misinformed” rumors, thanking Nickayla for moving in at the request of her nephew to help him process the sudden and tragic loss of his mother. While the Justified actor said he normally ignores the negative comments, he knew he had to speak out after learning there were people who “have a lot to say and have opinions on a family’s tragic situation.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
Speaking about the effect of Naya’s death on her son, Dorsey said, “I have to tell him, ‘She’s 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, hear those words come out of the sweetest soul you know.” Calling living with Nickayla a “temporary situation,” Ryan continued, “After all he’s had to go through, how could you deny him that? And because of what? Because what some strangers might think or say or spew some hatred based on some ill-advised, illogical, misinformed tabloid?”
Dorsey also thanked Nickayla for putting her life “on hold” to help him and Josey process the loss of her sister before condemning the paparazzi and press printing the”absurd narratives” about his family. “I also hope if you ever have to deal with anything tragic, that you’ll have peace and never [have] people following you and [taking] pictures and creating a false narrative based on an angle of a photo of two people grieving, who have been living their lives out of suitcases and just trying to get settled into a new place while grabbing a couple of things at Target for a young boy’s birthday party that we’re trying to put together,” he said.
Nickayla also addressed the rumors on Instagram, writing on her Story, “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.” She added, “I’m 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.”
