Naya Rivera’s Family Privately Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Naya Rivera’s family is settling a wrongful death lawsuit over the Glee actress’ accidental drowning.

According to online court records obtained by E! News, a settlement was filed on Feb. 24. A hearing is scheduled for March 16, where matters of the settlement will be heard in front of a judge, who needs to officially sign off.

In a statement to E! News, counsel for the estate of Naya as well as her 6-year-old son Josey Hollis Dorsey confirmed that all parties have entered into a global settlement, which is subject to approval by the Ventura Superior Court.

“Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru,” the statement read. “Though the tragic loss of Josey’s mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy.”

On July 8, 2020, Naya went missing after she took her son out boating at Lake Piru. An investigation was launched to find the actress after authorities found her son alone on a boat in the middle of the lake. After a days-long search by law enforcement and emergency personnel, Naya was found dead on July 13.

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The Ventura County Medical Examiner determined Naya’s cause of death to be drowning and her manner of death to be an accident.

Attorneys for Parks and Recreation Management and Ventura County declined to comment on the settlement. E! News has also reached out to lawyers for the United Water Conservation District and has not heard back.

Back in November 2020, Naya’s son and her estate filed a lawsuit against the County of Ventura, United Water Conservation District and Parks and Recreation Management.

Through his father and legal guardian Ryan Dorsey, Josey asserted two causes of action in the lawsuit: wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

In regard to the first cause of action, court documents obtained, “Josey has suffered substantial economic and noneconomic damages as a result of Naya’s death.” As for the second cause of action in the lawsuit, the documents alleged Josey suffered “serious emotional distress” as a result of being at the scene where his mother drowned.

According to court documents, the plaintiffs alleged the drowning was “utterly preventable” and claimed the “Defendants’ negligence was a substantial factor in causing Naya’s death by drowning.”

“Given Naya’s exceptional physical fitness, relative youth, strong swimming skills, and powerful love for Josey, she surely struggled mightly to make it back to the boat and succumbed to exhaustion over at least a few minutes,” the paperwork stated at one point. “During those minutes, Naya may not have known whether Josey made it back to the boat—as, despite Defendants’ inaccurate media reports, Naya did not boost Josey back onto the boat—but she surely knew that she was dying and would not make it back to her son.”