The family of the late “Glee” star Naya Rivera has settled a wrongful death lawsuit over the actress’ tragic drowning in a Southern California lake nearly two years ago.
Amjad M. Khan, an attorney representing Rivera’s estate and her young son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, confirmed with the Daily News on Tuesday that “all parties have entered into a global settlement, which is subject to approval by the Ventura Superior Court on March 16.”
The Grammy-nominated singer and actress was reported missing on July 8, 2020, after she took her then-4-year-old son on a boat ride at Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California.
Her body was discovered five days later. An autopsy ruled the cause of death as an accidental drowning.
In November 2020 Rivera’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey filed a lawsuit against Ventura County on behalf of their son claiming that her death was preventable. Ventura County, its Parks and Recreation Management department and the United Water Conservation District were named as defendants in the suit, which alleged both wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit stated that the rented boat lacked proper safety equipment in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards, citing Lake Piru’s “deadly history” and the lack of proper signage of its “strong currents, low visibility, high winds, changing water depths, underwater caves, ledges and drop-offs, or the trees, brush and other debris that congest its waters due to the vastly changing water levels and winds.”
The boat was “not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats, nor any flotation or lifesaving devices,” the complaint stated.
According to Khan, the settlement will grant Rivera’s son “just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru.”
He added, “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.”
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