Bonded forever. Naya Rivera’s sister, Nickayla Rivera, spoke out on Saturday, July 25, for the first time following the Glee star’s death in Lake Piru, California, earlier this month.
“There are no words to describe my love for you. Side by side or miles apart, our connection is infinite. Our bond is unbreakable. We were complete opposites, yet simultaneously the same. The yin to my yang. I never knew that by losing you, I would find so much of you in myself,” Nickayla, 25, began via Instagram.
“I’ve never known a life without you in it & still can’t imagine it. My world is turned upside down. But through it all, everything we were, we are still. I’ll always look at you with the same eyes as I did when I was young. My shmaya, I’ll love you for eternity & miss you every second of my life.”
Us Weekly confirmed on July 8 that the 33-year-old actress was missing after she did not return the motorized pontoon boat she rented with her 4-year-old son, Josey, at Lake Piru near Los Angeles.
“It is believed that Naya and her son were swimming in the lake near the boat and as they were getting back into the boat, her son made it into the boat and Naya went underwater and did not resurface,” the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department told Us at the time. Josey, meanwhile, was found safe on the boat.
As the search continued, Authorities confirmed on July 13 that the Step Up: High Water star drowned in the lake.
Nickayla’s heartbreaking tribute to her sister comes on the same day Naya’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, spoke out for the first time as well.
“This is so unfair…there’s not enough words to express the hole left in everyone’s hearts. I can’t believe this is life now. I don’t know if I’ll ever believe it. You were just here… We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn’t fair. I don’t know what to say…” he captioned an Instagram photo of Naya and Josey on Saturday.
“I’m thankful for our times and our journey that brought us together and gave us the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for,” he continued. “I remember sometimes you used to get annoyed at me: ‘Ryan can you stop snap chatting!’ Haha. I’m glad I didn’t listen to you because I have hundreds and probably thousands of snaps and videos that Josey will have forever and know his momma loved him more than life, and how much fun we had together as he was growing up. Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. He’ll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you. Love you Meep.”
Dorsey, 37, also thanked everyone who reached out in the wake of Naya’s tragic death.
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