Naya Rivera’s son to Ryan Dorsey had to celebrate his 7th birthday without his mom, but his dad still tried to make the day special for him.
Ryan Dorsey has been helping his and late Naya Rivera’s son, Josey, ring in his 7th birthday all month long.
The actor gave a glimpse into the little one’s festivities on Friday. Dorsey posted on Instagram a video of Josey throwing the first pitch at a baseball game on Sept. 17.
“My guy walked out there for the first time almost like he’s done it his whole life!!” Dorsey, 39, captioned the throwback footage. “Big thanks to @dirtybirdscwv for making this special moment happen for JoJo on his big day!”
One day prior, Dorsey posted a social media slideshow, featuring photos of Josey blowing out the candles on a Batman birthday cake.
“@joseydorsey My sweet 7year old growing-too-fast-smart boy, 🌞 I love you more than earth loves the sun, my son🌞❤️😚,” Dorsey captioned the Thursday upload.
Josey’s dog, Clifford, also appeared in the post, two weeks after his dad bought her as a birthday present.
“She’s the sweetest girl. Josey said no matter if it was boy or girl he was naming it CLIFFORD!” Dorsey wrote.
Dorsey has been documenting Josey’s milestones via Instagram, from starting first grade in August to riding a bike in February.
Rivera gave birth to Josey in September 2015, and the mother-son pair were together on Lake Piru in California when the “Glee” alum died in July 2022 at age 33.
The late actress put her son safely in the pontoon boat they had rented before she drowned, leading her ex-fiancé, Big Sean, to call her a “hero” in a touching tribute.
“Thank you for blessing us all,” the 34-year-old wrote via Instagram at the time. “I’m praying for you and your family and I know you’re watching over them and protecting them.”
The rapper was in a relationship with the actress from 2013 to 2014. After their breakup, Rivera reconnected with Dorsey, whom she briefly dated in 2010.
Rivera and Dorsey wed in July 2014, separated in 2016 and called off their split the following year. The on-again, off-again couple ultimately divorced in 2018.
Dorsey honored Rivera on Mother’s Day in May, writing, “Plenty of time for water works, but not now. I fight it & up I get. I have to go on with my day and that’s all we can do is go on, go on while we can.”
