Former “Glee” star Naya Rivera and her husband of two years, actor Ryan Dorsey, are separating.
“After much consideration, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple said in a joint statement. “Our priority is and always will be our beautiful son that we share together. We will continue to be great co-parenting partners for him. We ask for respect and privacy for our family during this difficult time.”
E! said Rivera, 29, filed for divorce on Nov. 15. She and Dorsey, 33, who appeared in arcs of “Justified” and the new Fox series “Pitch,” have a 14-month-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey. Rivera’s attorney told TMZ.com that the actress is requesting primary physical custody with visitation rights for Dorsey. Her Twitter page still listed her as Naya Rivera Dorsey as of Monday afternoon.
An actress since early childhood, dating back to CBS’ 1991-92 Redd Foxx-Della Reese sitcom “The Royal Family,” Rivera played cheerleader-turned-singer-actress Santana Lopez on “Glee.” Dorsey, a native of the 1,500-person town of Chesapeake, West Virginia, just outside the state capital of Charleston, has also appeared in episodes of “Southland,” “Parks and Recreation” and TNT’s “Mob City.” In 2011, he represented West Virginia in Cosmopolitan magazine’s “Bachelor of the Year” feature. After attending The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts he moved to Los Angeles, where he and Rivera became friends.
In her memoir “Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up,” published in September, Rivera revealed they went on to date but that with her career gaining momentum with “Glee” she ended the relationship in 2010. Afterward, she wrote, she learned she was pregnant with his child and had an abortion.
After becoming engaged to rapper Big Sean in October 2013, Rivera and he split up in April the following year. Rivera and Dorsey reignited their relationship and were wed in July 2014 in a small, private ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
