Naya Rivera found fame as part of the original cast on Glee. She was an early standout on the show and off the show, gaining the attention of a lot of gossip blogs and magazines for her relationship with Big Sean, her feuds on and off the Glee set, and her sudden firing from Glee in 2014. Post-Glee, Naya seemed to find peace – she got married (and divorced), she became a mother to son Josey (now 4 years old) and she wrote a successful memoir. She’s been relatively quiet for a few years and I feel like people genuinely wished her well and wished her a peaceful life. But Naya’s story has taken an awful turn – she rented a boat on Lake Piru in California for herself and her son. Naya apparently went off the boat to go swimming, but she never came back to the boat.
Glee star Naya Rivera is missing after Ventura, Calif. authorities found her son alone on a boat in the middle of Lake Piru on Wednesday, July 8, authorities have confirmed. According to NBC4 L.A. reporter Robert Kovacik, a search for Rivera began on Wednesday afternoon, when the actress and her son, Josey Dorsey, failed to return a rental boat to the facilities after the three hours she paid for. Her 4-year-old son was later found alone on the boat.
Additionally, NBC4 L.A. reports that the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department stated that Naya rented the pontoon boat for an afternoon of swimming, but never got out of the water with her son. While Josey was found wearing a life vest, it is presumed Rivera was not as an adult-sized one was found on the boat.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Eric Buschow told The Los Angeles Times that investigators arrived at the scene around 4:40 p.m. and found a toddler “unharmed,” but were still searching for the mother, who they did not immediately identify. Buschow said of Josey, “He’s in good health. The family is going through a very traumatic time right now.”
The Ventura County Sheriffs later said in a statement that the search and rescue operation was called off for the night, but will resume on Thursday morning.
God, this is awful. I looked up the Wiki for Lake Piru to see its size and whether there are any streams, tributaries or rivers, any place where there might have been a current which could have carried her off – the lake does seem to be part of a larger recreational/park complex with a stream attaching it to another lake. That being said, it looks like Lake Piru has a full recreational set-up with tons of safety measures, plus other people have drowned there before. It’s just tragic. And to be out there with her son, on what I imagine was just supposed to be a fun day out at the lake. What a complete tragedy.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
So sad. Her poor little boy.
I have a four year old and they are VERY sharp. He is going to be traumatized.
Yep, he will remember, two years younger it wouldn’t be as bad. Oh dear, I feel terrible thinking about what could have happened. I wish she had worn her life vest.
Glee is just freaking cursed.
My sympathies to the child.
That’s what I thought too. This will be the third death amongst a young cast. And with mark salling being caught with kiddie porn to boot, I can’t even watch it anymore.
That’s what I thought, Glee is cursed!
My mom died tragically when I was 4 and I remember it vividly. I remember the months of her being ill before that. Unfortunately he will likely remember this.
I’m sorry for your loss. It sounds very painful. Sincere condolences to you, and best wishes.
I never really followed her but this story has hit me hard. It’s just so sad.
How tragic. Haven’t read about her in ages but was she maybe suicidal? Not sure I would have left my 4yo alone on a boat while out for a swim myself.
So you think, that leaving her kid on a boat for five to ten minutes of swimming is unreasonable, but leaving her kid on a boat because she wanted to commit suicide makes more sense?
This sounds like a tragic accident, please let us not throw anything else into the mix by pure speculation.
But that’s exactly it. Suicidal people are usually not being ‘reasonable’ when they’re in despair. It might be a an accident, it might be more. Either way, it’s tragic, particulalry for her poor child.
The police have said that they were both swimming and her son got back into the boat but she didn’t – sounds like she may have had trouble getting back into the boat. She wasn’t wearing a life vest while her son was.
It is weird that she left her son on the boat while she swam, without a life jacket. I’d be worried that while I swam far from the boat, my kid would jump in. Was there a third person on the boat perhaps? Maybe she they swam together and she managed to get her son back on the boat but she herself couldn’t?
No, her son had his life jacket on but Naya’s jacket was still in the boat, so she must have taken it off.
The most likely explanation is that she smacked her head trying to get into the boat or surfacing and that knocked her out. It may have happened straight after she got him in, or perhaps she had a short swim without him afterwards. If she swam close around the boat watching her son who was wearing a life jacket, that is perfectly safe 99% of the time. Alternatively she misjudged the currents and breeze and wasn’t a strong swimmer and the boat drifted away from her quickly and she couldn’t get back. Both of these things could happen easily. This sounds like a freak accident that is terribly sad. Suggesting suicide or bad parenting is in really poor taste. Unless there is evidence of that down the track, best not to suggest things like that.
I think it’s more likely that her son fell in the water and she went to get him in a rush therefore didn’t have time to wear her lifejacket. I dont think she would’ve gone in the water leaving her son degind alone in a boat. The boy was wearing his jacket so she had security in mind.
Exactly!
This is so sad.
Thank you, SKF. It is gross to suggest suicide or question her parenting. You and Lily lay out good examples of how something like this can happen, to anyone really. This is so sad. Poor little boy.
That’s what I thought as well. likely they were swimming, she got him back in, and then something happened, like she slipped and fell getting back in the boat, or something.
I live in an area with a lot of boating and water activities, and accidents happen a LOT. Sometimes minor, sometimes tragic, like this situation. My heart breaks for her child, and her loved ones.
This sounds sadly like that Kathleen Kennedy Townsend case where the mother and son used a boat to retrieve a ball and drifted off, and drowned. Just a spontaneous move that went horribly wrong. I’m glad her child is safe, but it must be so awful for him to be alone out there not knowing where his mother is. I wish she hadn’t decided to go out there alone. So tragic. I hope they find her soon.
Could also be the case that she lost something very valuable and though she would be able to retrieve it. We don’t know exactly however the circumstances are extremely sad. I feel for her boy.
Just wow. Keep those thoughts to yourself. Not the time nor the place for such garbage. js imo
Suggesting it was suicide is in such bad taste.
Suicide is a big leap. It’s extremely difficult to drown yourself. From the statement, it sounds like she was swimming with her son, he got back on the boat but she didn’t. I imagine that she slipped getting back in the boat and was incapacitated.
She could have hit her head on the boat, could have had a stroke while swimming or something. So sad for her son.
Or consider this: Right before my high school graduation, most of our senior class went on a canoeing trip, with swimming after. Everyone was splashing around having a good time until a popular guy most of us had known since kindergarten (very small town) went to swim underwater and didn’t come up. What happened was his leg got caught on some roots in the riverbed and he couldn’t get untangled. His friends eventually located him and pulled him out, but it was too late. He’d been a healthy, athletic guy, and a good swimmer, but that didn’t matter in this case. It was horrible and traumatic for everyone–especially for his twin brother–and our graduation day became one of mourning and weeping. I don’t like to think back on that, but it made me forever wary of swimming in water that’s not clear. Also, life vests are important. Be safe, everyone… please don’t go swimming/boating alone, cause something could go wrong.
I understand and agree with the sentiment that speculation isn’t helpful at this point, but I am also kind of horrified and heartbroken by the tone and degree of pushback to this comment as though speculating about suicide is more distasteful than speculating about her smacking her head or going after a valuable object. It plays into the stigma of suicide; that it is shameful and reflects negatively on the individual and their immediate family.
As someone who had to file a missing persons report, be the primary family contact during the month long investigation, clean out the belongings, give the eulogy, etc for the closest person to me after her suicide (who, coincidentally, drowned herself according to the coroner’s report that we just got back this week after more than a year and a half), I am having a really visceral reaction to the disgust in some of these “how dare you suggest that” comments.
This may trigger some people. And I’m sorry for that. But I think this needs to be said about what I thing as a very careless comment.
Honestly, as someone who has seriously contemplated suicide, the way the original commenter expressed this being a possible suicide may not be the most egregious part of the commentary. For me, it’s the careless comment how suicidal people aren’t “reasonable” while they’re in despair is what struck me and something I’ve been sitting on all day to come back and comment on.
You may not think suicide is a reasonable solution and that’s fair, but when I’ve been in that state of mind, I‘ve never weighed anything else so seriously in my life. The one thing that stopped me from going further is that I knew couldn’t control whether or not I would be leaving my dog in a good living situation. Because the one person I trusted during that time literally couldn’t afford another dog. I couldn’t do that to her or to my dog. To some that may be laughable or not reasonable, but it saved my life.
There are those who make rash decisions, but most suicidal people aren’t looking to physically hurt anyone else. They’re just looking to stop their own pain. I don’t believe this woman would have put her son in danger by just leaving him in a boat with no way of knowing if he would be safe or not. If she intended on taking him with her, she would have made sure it was done. Or she wouldn’t have gone through with it at all at that moment, that is if she was intending on bringing him with her and changed her mind.
Those kind of flippant comments makes it more difficult for suicidal people to reach out for help. If suicidal people feel they are just going to be written off as crazy, instead of feeling like we have a chance of being listened to and then being able to get help, then why ask for help? It’s just another source of pain.
I’m ok. My dog is living a good life. And I had to tell myself for a long time that for her to live a good life, I also needed to live a good life to make sure she can have that. And that I absolutely owed that to her, even when I didn’t believe I could do it just for me.
It’s the small things that can make or break people who are in that state of mind. Please be kinder with this type of speculation in these settings. You don’t know who is reading them. And if you are reading this and thinking about it, there is hope.
Lee and Anonymous_Burner:
Thank you both so much for your kind and thoughtful comments. I too have been suicidal, and actually did manage to come very close- I was found and resuscitated by the police and ended up on a vent in ICU (thanks only to an odd stroke of luck).
I also had a puppy who I loved and one of my main considerations was what would happen to her. But I rationalized to myself that she would be better off without me- that the whole world would- because I felt so badly about myself.
I don’t presume to say that this is what happened with Naya, but given some of the tumult that she’s gone through in the recent years, I don’t think it’s completely impossible. And I think moments like this can be very helpful to help raise awareness and understanding about suicide and depression.
We don’t know what happened to Naya, but whether it was an accident or a purposeful effort to end her life, we should extend the same compassion to her son and family. Suicide is a choice that people make when they are in extreme pain and feel alone- the less shame we surround it with, the more chance that people who are considering it will tell someone what they are thinking.
@anonymous_burner: Thank you for your thoughtful post. I’m glad you are in a better place these days and hope that continues. Sending good vibes to you and your sweet dog.
I wondered if maybe they were both swimming, she lifted him back into the boat but couldn’t get back in? Then maybe struck out to find help?
This is just so sad
It is. It just shows you how life can change in literally in instant, under seemingly carefree circumstances. Her poor little boy.
I have to share a story here: I never really watched Glee and just knew Naya from the gossip sites because the end of her marriage was very turbulent, so I am not a fan…
But in the past week, I have been watching her on youtube. I have no idea why. I think it came down due to all that Lea Michele shitstorm and youtube started offering glee videos and by curiosity, I clicked on one- of her specifically- and have been enjoying the tidbits and compilations of her character since.
and I caught myself thinking just yesterday that I have no heard from any other works she was in, so she really must have been focusing on her private life and keeping quiet, a good decision since she had struggled as I mentioned—just to wake up today with this.
The Universe does have a strange way of operating.
Priscila, Thank you for sharing your story. I agree, it really is amazing/strange when attempting to explain something that there is virtually no sensible explanation for! All the best-Judy
God this is so awful. I can’t see how this is going to have a good outcome. That poor little boy. 🙁
Unfortunately I have to agree. She was a true standout on Glee, Santana was such a great character and a big reason the earlier seasons were so much fun to watch. My heart breaks for her young son & family.
All I can think of is how thankful I am that he got back on the boat. I can’t imagine his terror of his mom not coming back into the boat, or what’s happening now. Ugh. Going to go hug my little.
Apparently this lake has been known for ages for its tragic history.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-07-me-16875-story.html
Are they thinking suicide or a tragic accident? Both tragic but different. I pray they are safe 🙏🙏🙏
Her son told the authorities that they both went in the water to swim. He got himself back on the boat alone. Sounds like an awful accident. Poor Josey.
Thanks for the info. So sad 😔😔😔
My heart breaks for her son, the poor child to go through that ordeal by himself.
Naya’s personal life was very messy for a while but she was very talented and I still frequently watch some of her Glee stuff. The duets between her and Amber Riley were outstanding, and she did a cover of Valerie and Rumour has it that I absolutely love.
Naya had a powerful singing voice and was a talented actress as well – I thought she was underused in the series and she was always fun to watch. She and Heather were very good dancers.
I loved her version of Songbird. So touching.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CJUgLEtA-74
Really awful.
This is awful. Her poor son. So many terrible things have happened with the Glee cast.
Prayers for her son and her loved ones who mourn this loss and it’s unexpectedness.
I feel sick about this. This is so awful and I feel so bad for her son.
I’ve gone swimming off our boat before, and have been freaked out by how quickly the boat can float away. If there’s a breeze, you can find yourself further away than you anticipated.
Same here. We almost always pull the boat into a cove to swim for that reason.
I will NOT swim off a boat unless it is anchored somewhere. I am a strong swimmer and have been swimming my whole life but there is so much that can go wrong so quickly.
You are right Kati. Between even a slight wing and the current a swimmer and the boat can get separated very quickly. When I swim off my boat we always have long ropes with floats attached off both sides and the back in case the swimmers get tired or start to float away they can grab on. Plus we never leave the boat unmanned unless it’s anchored.
This is so sad. I feel terribly for her son who will probably always hold some guilt even though it is in no way his fault.
Glee truly has a horrific and tragic record.
This is so horrible. I wish for a miracle to happen but I know it’s unlikely. God, this is just awful. That poor boy!
This is so awful, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I can’t stop thinking about how her little boy must be feeling. The next 24 hours will be crucial. I’m just praying for a safe return. A close family friend of mine went missing a number of years ago, as he was at a party near a river and walked home that night. It took about 3-4 years to find his body. He’s now been laid to rest. As for speculation as to what happened, we don’t really know the full details yet. so let’s just hope she’s found safe and well.
Wow this is shocking and sad. That poor boy. Let’s hope this story somehow has a happy ending.
such a sad situation – this happened to a friend of my parents years ago, they went for a swim off their boat, and never came back. It was really awful for the family.
Wow. This is so sad and unexpected.
Her poor baby. And poor Naya, she didn’t have an easy or mess free life. I hope against hope that she’s found.
I really, really hope that she’s okay. I know it will take a miracle but please!
Her poor son! My son just turned 4 years old and I cannot imagine what it must have been liked for son, waiting for her to come up and get back to him.
Just imagine her yelling for help but he couldn’t do anything. That will haunt him for life. Poor poor child.
I really feel like this show was cursed. I really liked Naya as an actress. She was great on Devious Maids. I know she had her issues, but she seemed to get it together after her divorce.
I’m hoping that Naya is safe and she won’t be part of the Glee curse. What a horrible situation.
This has been on my mind all morning. I am so sad–it doesn’t sound good. I have a 4 year old and my heart breaks for her child.
I hope she’s not part of the Glee curse. I can’t watch this show anymore because of all the tragedies. I loved her on the show–she was such a good singer and I liked her storylines.
How awful. That poor little boy.
A pontoon boat is as safe a boat as there is, if you know what you are doing. I’ve seen swimmers who got carried away by a current and couldn’t get back to the boat. I’ve also seen swimmers who forgot to hang the ladder off a boat, and became exhausted trying to get back up. Also, some ladders are hard to negotiate, especially without an adult on the boat to lend a hand. This is so very tragic.
Not sure she’s experienced. Swimming with her son without an anchor set is a bit odd. Although maybe he leaped in, and she jumped in after him so no time, or not in a place she could. As you said if the ladder wasn’t down they’re harder to get back in. After lifting her son in she could have been exhausted.
This is heartbreaking. Her poor son. I read a police report that he was found sleeping on the boat by another boater. Anything could have happened to that poor baby. I also read he was interviewed and the little boy said they were both swimming but mommy never got back on the boat. 😭
I can’t stress this enough: ALWAYS wear your life jacket even if you are a great swimmer!!! Accidents happen unexpectedly, and then this happens. I’m an experienced swimmer but I always have it on if I’m on a boat or lake. Hit your head, get dizzy pass out…and that’s all it takes. Also to all parents: drowning is SILENT. You don’t hear it. It’s not like the movies. It is quick and quiet. Always put life jackets on kids even if you are just hanging out next to the lake, or by the pool. It happens so, so fast.
It’s tragic and heartbreaking.
Echoing this comment, I grew up in Hawaii and was a certified lifeguard there; and it was shocking to me how many American tourists had little to no basic knowledge of water safety. (I’m not blaming Naya at all, I just wish there was more education in schools or mandatory videos you have to watch before renting a boat…something).
The first thing you learn in lifeguard training is that the no. 1 cause of drowning is panic, because people get into situations they didn’t expect and get frantic trying to get out of it or to stay afloat which causes them to exhaust themselves. And yes drowning looks nothing like most people think, it’s very subtle because the person is using all their energy to stay above the surface and they have none left to shout or wave or splash around….Just please please please don’t swim if there’s no lifeguards and if you do then wear a lifevest. Even strong swimmers can easily get in trouble.
Thank you for saying this. It baffles me how many people on Twitter and Instagram jump to all sorts of theories (suicide, kidnapping and even murder) but they can’t wrap their heads around the simple fact that Naya most likely drowned.
This story is unbelievable sad and tragic, but not uncommon. There is no need to turn this awful accident into a conspiracy theory.
I also thought it was sad she was having to do this alone. I always feel like boating alone is risky ands its best to have at least two adults. Made me said that as a single mom, she was out there alone trying to create an experience for her son like this without a friend or partner present. Single motherhood sounds so hard.
Ive heard conflicting reports about the son getting in the water. She could have had to pee and jumped in for a quick bathroom break and couldnt pull herself back in? I dont know if pontoon boats have a back board to or a ladder climb back in or not.
Single motherhood can be hard, but there’s nothing so sad about going out in a boat with your child and no partner. People do things without a partner all the time. I raised my son alone and was not “sad” to “have to do things alone.” Much better to be alone than with a partner you don’t really love, as many people are. This accident was tragic, but being single is not.
Very true Katherine! I spent my whole childhood doing stuff just me and my mom and it was lovely! Sure as a kid I really wished for a dad, but as I got older I appreciated that my childhood was a lot better than if that particular guy had been around.
I remember as a small child having a kid say to me – oh that’s so sad you only have one parent – and saying back – I have one amazing parent who loves me more than anything and that’s more than a lot of people get! Of course it’s hella work for one person, so much props to my mom who had no family at all to help, but she built us a beautiful, magical, joyful life.
Oh God, I can’t even imagine how terrified that little boy must have been that Mommy isn’t coming back and he’s all alone in the middle of a lake. Thank goodness someone noticed him and that the rental company seems to have alerted the authorities sooner rather than later. Poor Naya, just devastating. I wonder if it’s one of those freak scenarios they warn you about, such as a cramp.
I read up on the lake. It’s deep, meaning cold water deep down. When the warm water on top and cold water on bottom try to mix it can create a disturbance. There’s also a dam and currents. She could have been caught up in some of those too. There have been a lot of drownings on this lake. So, so sad for her son.
This is truly sad and awful. I hope by some miracle she’s found alive and will be well. I can’t even begin to imagine what he poor child must be feeling, or how it would impact his life if she’s isn’t found alive. Well there goes my intention to watch Glee. It was the next show on my list of shows I’ve missed when they were on. It would seriously creep me out watching knowing that so many of the young people on that show met with such tragedies.
This is so sad. Is a 4 year old enough to explain what happened? (I don’t have kids.)
I would think he could get the basics, depending on if he was closer to 3 or closer to 5. His story might be confused at first, telling things out of order, focusing on weird things (“there was a big bird.”) He wouldn’t be very good at telling times, or estimating how long they swam for, or how long they were on the boat, or where they were, but with the right questions, you can usually get a correct answer. “Were you on the boat for a long time or a short time before swimming?” “Did mom go in the water first or did you go in the water first?” “Did mom put you back in the boat or did you get back in all by yourself?” “Did you see any other people or boats?”
I have a child and I’m also a nanny. The kids I watch now are 2 and 3.5 and they tell me what they did over the weekend. They always claim that whatever story they’re telling happened “yesterday” or “tomorrow,” so they’re not good at the abstract concepts of time, but they’re good at who was there, what they did, how they got there.
@amy too agreed. I have a four-year-old and she can recall things have have happened in pretty accurate detail, but she’ll say things happened yesterday when they happened at christmas, or a week ago. No concept of time.
This is tragic and sad. And yes her baby will remember unless he suffers PTSD later. Once my kids hit 2.5 they were speaking in sentences,asking questions, and had a strong understanding of the world around them. I’m sure her son was terrified and sad. I hope he has lots of family support.
At first I wondered if it was a kidnapping. But it doesn’t seem like that?
This is so shocking and heartbreaking, I loved her on Glee and what her character represented (before I knew all the backstage stories about Lea being a bully, or Mark‘s support of child sexual abuse, etc.).
TMZ is reporting her car was found in the parking lot with her purse inside. Looks like a drowning more than anything. They are now calling it a “recovery” mission and said a body usually takes about a week to surface to the top of the lake. Wow this is beyond sad…
I saw this last night. This is so so sad. Her poor son will be so traumatized. Thank god he didn’t go out of the boat to look for her.
I saw this last night. This is so so sad. Her poor son will be so traumatized. Thank god he didn’t go out of the boat to look for her.
This hurts my heart
It is terribly sad. I’m sure it was a terrible accident.
Now, for some good but not entirely good news:
Google the Marine/college football wide receiver – happens to be Black- who ran and caught the little boy – happens to be white – dropped from a burning building. Mom didn’t make it but saved her two kids.
Blanks is a true hero.
https://newspunch.com/wide-receiver-catches-boy-from-burning-building/
Nancypants, I read this yesterday. What a hero. But I cried thinking about how the poor Mother died.
I’m a former LA Times journalist and can affirm what others have noted–there have been a lot of drownings at this lake. It’s in a fairly remote area, is sparsely used and doesn’t have a lot of lifeguards. Poor swimmers get caught in its deep chilly currents, and there’s no one around to help them. This is a terrible tragedy.
So very sad. I was just reading an article on Glee’s legacy and the misfortune the cast has seen so far.
Perfect time to reiterate boat and water safety. Don’t go out alone, people! No matter how strong of a swimmer you are. Tragic accidents can happen in a second when a body of water is involved.
It made me feel so sad, thinking of this little boy, alone on a boat, waiting for his mommy to come back. They said he fell asleep, he must have waited for so long.
I think it’s a miracle her son managed to stay on the boat. I mean, he is still very young, he could have fallen back into the water at anytime.
I hope they find Naya. Even if the issue is tragic, I think for her son it’s really important to know what became of her.
My heart goes out to her son and family. Unfortunately, swimming/boating accidents can occur without warning. We frequently go boating on lakes during the summer; it’s easy to become disoriented or injured even if you’re familiar with the area. Who knows what happened with Naya and her son that particular day; it’s just such a tragedy.
Oh my God, that poor boy, he will be traumatised for life. Something must have happened that she was in the water without the life jacket while leaving her child. I was cleaning Windows on the 3 floor of our apartment last weekend and my husband wasn’t home, normally I would be less careful and more willing to get outside on the ledge if I wouldn’t have been home alone with my 6 year old (it’s not the first time I clean the windows from the outside) but I was extra careful (to the point I amused myself) because if anything were to happen he would have been alone and unattended to deal with some sort of accident.
They are now in recovery mode, not rescue. This is so sad.
This is super duper sad. I never watched glee, and was only peripherally aware of Naya (due to her dating Big Sean), but man like others have said it does seem like all these glee kids are cursed. I live in LA, I’m familiar with Lake Piru, and supposedly she was too, and had grown up in that area swimming and boating there. She looked to be pretty fit too, strong and toned so I really think…she must have dove in off the boat and hit her head or something. Maybe the shallow areas weren’t marked properly. That said, it’s a man made lake that is pretty deep at parts, and there’s still trees and all kind of natural material on the bottom that can create rip tides and allegedly whirlpools. I have 3 year old twins and personally I wouldn’t take them swimming alone, even in a pool with them wearing puddle jumpers. It’s just too stressful and things can go wrong quickly. I feel so bad for her son.
Remote location. Foolish choice. As a CA resident we’ve traveled through this area. No friends or family are reporting they knew. Only the company who rented the pontoon boat. Reminder: Tell family and friends where you will be, check in often.
I’m the mom of two boys, 11 and 2, and though I’ve never watched Glee, this story is breaking my heart. My god, as a mom, just thinking about your child being alone in the boat and probably scared and unsure what to do, but tired enough to just crash like little kids sometimes do… I hate this. I know chances are slim that she’s still alive but man, that little boy…. Poor sweet baby. Does anyone know if his father is still in the picture? I truly hope so.