Ryan Dorsey Addresses Past Romance Rumors with Naya Rivera’s Sister Nickayla

Ryan Dorsey is speaking out about rumors he was romantically involved with this late ex-wife Naya Rivera’s sister.

Naya tragically drowned in July 2020 while boating with their son Josey, then 4, on Lake Piru in Ventura County, California.

Just two months later, Ryan was photographed with her sister Nickayla, and it appeared they were holding hands.

Now, Ryan tells People magazine, “The funny thing is, it did look like we were holding hands, but we grazed fingers on the escalator, and then it was this whole thing. That was the only time I’ve ever addressed anything on social media because it was just so insane.”

He said there were online theories about him and Nickayla having “something to do with” Naya’s death. “People were tagging the FBI,” he explained. “Just f**king insane.”

Dorsey insisted nothing was going on between the two, and that Nickayla had moved in with him to help with Josey.

“She was such a big help,” he said of Nickayla. “I wanted to keep [Josey’s] life somewhat normal, and I knew I was going to be out of town working. I had to go to Vancouver for five months and Josey came the last month to stay with me, but during the time I was gone she held it down and kept that consistency.”

The actor went on, “She served as somewhat of a female figure and helped be the other voice of reason. It was very surreal sometimes because the way she would say things to Josey would sound like his mom.”

Ryan and Josey have since moved to West Virginia. He told People, “When we were living in L.A. for the two years after Naya’s death, I was auditioning in my garage, rent was $6,000 a month, and it’s like, I’m getting nothing for Josey’s future. It didn’t make sense to stay because COVID changed our industry to where all my auditions were on tape, and I can audition in a garage anywhere. West Virginia is just a completely different place. There’s not much to do, but it feels safe and there’s no traffic.”

These days the “Tracker” actor still returns to L.A. for work and to see Rivera’s family.

“I love her family so much: her dad, her mom, her sister, her brother, we all get along so good and we’re all still close,” he said. “We’re, obviously, even closer now, and we stay at Grandma’s. He’s really close to both sides of his family, and we make sure of that.”

Just recently, they even surprised Naya’s mom Yolanda with a birthday visit.

“I didn’t tell grandma that Josey was coming, so we showed up and we got her some flowers and a balloon,” he said. “He rang the doorbell, and she had the best surprise. She was so happy to see him. She said it was the best birthday ever.”

“I didn’t tell grandma that Josey was coming, so we showed up and we got her some flowers and a balloon,” he says. “He rang the doorbell, and she had the best surprise. She was so happy to see him. She said it was the best birthday ever.”