Naya Rivera's sister says she's 'showing up' for her nephew following reports she moved in with his dad

‘In the darkest time of my life, the only thing that is important is my friends and family,' Nickayla Rivera said

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Tuesday 29 September 2020 17:52 BST
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Nickayla Rivera says she's 'showing up' for nephew
Nickayla Rivera says she's 'showing up' for nephew (Getty Images)
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Naya Rivera’s sister has opened up about being there for her late sibling’s five-year-old son amid reports she’s moved in with her sister’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey.

On Monday, the Glee star’s younger sister Nickayla Rivera shared a statement to Instagram Stories, where she revealed that she is “showing up” for her nephew following the death of his mother. 

“In the darkest time of my life, the only thing that is important is my friends and family,” the 25-year-old wrote. “Showing up for my nephew, even though I can’t show up for myself.”

Nickayla then appeared to acknowledge reports that Dorsey moved in with her following Naya’s death in July, explaining that she is “not concerned with the way things look”.

“I’m not concerned with the way things look because no one can see each agonising moment we all endure,” she continued. “What matters most, I’ve learned, is to show compassion, not to judge others, and never take a moment of life for granted.

“I hope you all can do the same.”

According to Page Six, Nickayla is helping to raise Josey alongside Dorsey - who was married to Naya from 2014 to 2018 - and his parents.

Naya, who was best known for playing Santana on Glee, died on 8 July at the age of 33 during a boating outing in Lake Piru near Los Angeles with Josey.

Her body was recovered on 13 July and her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

On 25 July, Nickayla paid tribute to her older sister on Instagram, where she shared a photo of the pair and wrote: “Sister,⁣ ⁣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.

“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.⁣”

She concluded the post adding that she’ll miss Naya “every second of my life.”

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