Naya Rivera and husband Ryan Dorsey Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images
Ryan Dorsey is mourning the death of his and late ex-wife Naya Rivera’s dog, Emmy.
The actor, 40, shared an Instagram Reel on Monday, April 8, that included a montage of photos featuring Rivera and their son, Josey, 7, with Emmy, which was set to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.
“Josey and I came home from opening day for baseball and came to find Emmy at her final resting place, on the bathroom floor laid up next to her older sister Lucy,” Dorsey captioned the post. “Her heart beat all it could and she lived a good life. She would’ve been 10 this summer…It’s been a tough weekend.”
He continued: “Oh my sweet sweet babygirl, Emmy. I remember the day we picked you up. We drove just north of San Diego to meet you. You were the runt of the litter. The last one left. You already had the name of an award so we didn’t even change it. Emmy you were. Aka Emmington Brown aka Sweet Baby Emmers…”
Dorsey recalled Emmy’s “real mommy following us to the door as I carried you out in my arms alongside your new mommy” and “crying” while driving home with the dog in the car.
“I was happy to have you but I was also sad about taking you from your mom the way she followed us out,” he noted. “But hey this is the dog slangin’ business and I wiped those tears and hit the 5 North back to LA and you were ours now. [Our dog] Lucy wasn’t happy to see you but she finally warmed up to you, it might’ve a few years, but who’s counting?”
Emmy “the sweetest and most quiet dog,” often joining Dorsey on set, where she “didn’t give a s—t” about any distractions. “On walks if a dog barked at you or walked up to you to say whats up — you paid them no mind, you kept your eyes up, and your head down—so what if you were deaf — you were the s—t,” he wrote.
“You were my road dog,” he said. “We went everywhere together, and you could sleep like no dog’s business.”
Throughout the years, many stars have grown so close to the animals that they share the screen with that they want to take them home, and sometimes they do just that. In other instances — we’re looking at you, Bradley Cooper — stars bring their pets along to join them in front of the camera. […]
Dorsey concluded the post: “You were my emotional support animal through it all. I’m gonna miss you Emmers. You were one of the good ones. I could say so much more but I know you never had an Instagram — but you were so cool, I know you never gave a shit about IG tributes so I’ll wrap it up. Thank you for all the love and cuddles. Keep mommy company and we’ll see you on the other side of the 🌈. We ❤️you.”
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Dorsey and Rivera were married from 2014 to 2018, welcoming Josey in 2015. The former couple coparented their son until Rivera died at age 33 in July 2020. She was swimming at Lake Piru in California with Josey, then 4, when she drowned. Her body was recovered after a five-day search.
Since Rivera’s death, Dorsey has given glimpses of his bond with his son. In September 2022, Josey posed with the latest addition to their family: a new goldendoodle puppy.
“Early birthday present for @JoseyDorsey !” the proud dad captioned an Instagram pic at the time. “8weeks old. They were calling here [sic] Goldie, I’ve been calling her Goldie Bear. She’s the sweetest girl.”