Naya Rivera passed away in an extremely tragic accident last summer in California. Her son Josey likely witnessed Naya’s final moments in the lake. Josey is now being taken care of by his father Ryan Dorsey, and I’ve assumed this whole time that Ryan is pretty close to Naya’s family. Naya’s sister even moved in with Ryan to help take care of Josey, and Ryan seems to be in steady contact with Naya’s parents. Well… this week, Naya’s father George Rivera went OFF on Ryan Murphy, the creator/producer of Glee. Murphy promised to set up a college fund for Josey and according to George Rivera, Murphy has not.
Ryan Murphy is setting the record straight after Naya Rivera’s dad accused him of breaking a promise to her son Josey Dorsey. Their Twitter showdown began when George Rivera, whose daughter Naya died in July 2020 during a boating accident, called out Ryan for not fulfilling his pledge to help set up a college fund for 5-year-old Josey.
On Tuesday, March 9, George tweeted that Ryan was full of “Broken Promises,” “fake outrage” and “hollow gestures.” He also tweeted “no phone call,” implying that Ryan didn’t call George after Naya’s death, even though Ryan created the show Glee on which his daughter starred as Santana Lopez. George tried to rally the “glee tweeters” to go after Ryan, writing, “Everyone needs to know what Ryan Murphy really did … or didn’t do !!! I’m about to blow up this story …. and make sure he’s knows that I know.”
One fan commented, “mr. rivera gonna drag ryan murphy’s a– as he should,” to which George responded, “When you are part of the Hollywood elite, some people treat others as they are ‘less than’ …. vocalize a good game , but it’s as shallow as the sets on stage , that they create.”
About an hour later, Ryan came online to clear the air. The mega producer explained that he, along with his Glee co-creators and executive producers Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, “have committed to create a college fund for Naya Rivera’s child Josey through the Naya Rivera Estate Trust.”
Ryan wrote, “We have been in repeated conversations with the appropriate executors of her estate.”
I tried to find the identity of the executors of Naya’s estate, since Murphy seems to insinuate that George Rivera is not one of them? Perhaps it’s Naya’s mother or sister. Clearly, whatever money, property and investments Naya had at the time of her death were likely put in some kind of trust for Josey as well, but it would also be nice for Naya’s former employer to donate, especially since he did make that public promise. Weird that he hasn’t, but maybe he has tried? I don’t know. This is a strange story.
Everyone needs to know what Ryan Murphy really did … or didn’t do !!! I’m about to blow up this story …. and make sure he’s knows that I know ….
— G. Rivera (@UserArtists) March 10, 2021
Myself, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan have committed to create a college fund for Naya Rivera’s child Josey through the Naya Rivera Estate Trust. We have been in repeated conversations with the appropriate executors of her estate.
— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) March 10, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
Litigation for trusts takes awhile. Especially when money is involved.
If they are on the up and up and wanting to make sure the money is being used for the purpose it is suppose to, I am gonna give a little leeway to Murphy and Co.
Now if this conversation was happening 5 years later, that is a different story.
Tiffany, that’s what I was thinking as well. These things take time, and Josey is also very young and many years from college (so there IS time).
The money can be placed/held in an escrow account with their own attorneys. In California it’s called CUTMA (California Uniform Transfer to Minors Act). If it’s earmarked for education it wouldn’t be added to Trust monies for care and should be in a seperate, interest-earning account. I call BS on Murphy, etal.
Kinda sounds to me like her dad is mad he’s not involved in talks of setting up the trust, and that in reality steps have been taken to set it up.
This is weird. Especially bc Josey is 5, they have time. I’m not sure what the rush is? I think George comes off gross in this.
1. The kid is 5, they have plenty of time to set up the college fund. Why the rush from her family? 2. Naya’s son is not an orphan. He has another presumably able parent who can provide for him. From personal experience, saving for college on one modest income is not fun, but it’s also not impossible. It would be nice show of support for Naya’s son, but it shouldn’t be the only way he can get an education.
It hasn’t been that long and these things take time. Josey is still just a little boy so college is years away. I’d like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in this story, lots of factors at play.
Hmm. Given the situation, the money likely involved, and the pandemic delaying everything, I hope it’s all in the works and just taking some time to do it right.
I feel badly for her dad, I’m sure he’s really grieving, and with that can come frustration and anger. Hopefully it all works out well. It’d be nice to see those Glee producers maybe set up some scholarships or something as well, to honor her.
I’m sure that he is upset and grieving, but it’s odd that a trust seems to be in the process of being set up and he is not included. Who is setting up Naya Rivera’s trust and will it completely benefit Josey?
Naya wasn’t married when she died. Unless she left a will, Josey is the beneficiary of her estate, and he’s a minor, so his dad would be in control because he is the child’s legal guardian. Based on that, I think that she left a will and she did not leave her family, at least her dad, in charge of the trust. If that is the case, dad needs to back off because what ever is happening now is happening because she asked for it when she wrote her will. But a lot of families become shocked when someone with a little money dies.
The person who wrote the will had reasons for the instructions they left, and those reasons aren’t negotiable after death unless the family sues the estate. Her father is probably hurt that she didn’t leave him in charge of Josey’s money, and so dad wants to be public about what he thinks is or isn’t fair on Josey’s behalf. If he thinks that Josey’s money is being stolen, he needs to sue. Outing Ryan Murphy for breaking promises just looks like flailing. I hope Ryan and Brad give Josey the money, but they aren’t obligated to. They will look like monsters if they don’t do it, so I think they will. Naya’s dad sounds like he wants control that she didn’t give him.
This whole outrage from Naya’s dad smells fishy. Josey is very young and college is a long way away. There’s time. And if Murphy wants to set it up properly it will take some time. You can’t just chuck a bunch of money in a bank account the next day and call it money in trust for college. Documents and protocol must be followed. The dad sounds like he is being excluded and is pissed.
Also, this isn’t the only way this child can go to college! He, presumably, is the recipient of his mother’s estate and he also has family in his father and extended family, too. So even if Murphy didn’t set this up, he won’t be destitute! This whole thing is just weird and doesn’t feel right.
Grief makes you do crazy things. He wants to know his daughter is being honored and not being used for good PR. It’s more often than not, celebrities make these splashy promises for donations and then quietly forget and never follow through.
I think the response was done well and someone needs to have a good talk with George so he feels he is part of the process.
It’s very sad, but Josey has a father. Dad needs to let this be about Josey. If Naya cut him off in the will, he needs to accept it.
Naya was his daughter, but Josey was provided for by his mom, and he has a dad who is alive. Grandparents don’t have a say unless there are no parents. If they want a say, they have to sue.
He sounds controlling and like he doesn’t want to accept that his daughter chose to cut him out of decisions about her son.
Ok it would be nice to have a college find but wasn’t Josey’s dad and aunt living in a rental for $10,000 a month? Clearly they have a lot of money coming from somewhere and he is only five. It sounds like he is already taken care of financially at the moment. Also what if he doesn’t want to go to college? I’m kind of side eyeing this the dad bringing this to Twitter.
This article is very confusing. What does whether or not George is close to RYAN DORSEY have to do with him going after RYAN MURPHY?
I barely know who any of these people are, but the father calling out someone who said they would do something is behaving poorly. If the guy said he would do something and then didn’t keep his word I don’t see why he needs to be shamed in public. Hopefully he does keep his word. But yeah, the boy still has his own father who is the one responsible for his needs. Not someone who was her boss. Going public with this is just gross. Keep your business to yourself.
Good for Grandpa! It’s so easy to promise the world and never deliver. Naya’s Dad is right to get it in writing right NOW. It has been a year, and while some say that’s barely any time at all, it’s more than enough time to set up an education trust for Josey. If the Glee dudes really intended to do it, R Murphy, B Falchuk and I Brennan would each put 50k into the trust, determine the terms which is totally standard anyhow, and let the family know.
No, it does not take much time to do this, and yes, dragging your feet is an a-hole move. Yes, those 3 dudes are being jerks. They should have said it and done it. People promise so much when someone passes, and they look like angels, but then the follow through just never happens. This grandpa is making sure all of those promises come through for Josie.
If you haven’t listened to Naya’s audio book, I highly recommend it. I didn’t watch Glee all the way through, but Santana was always my favorite.