Naya Rivera’s family settles lawsuit for wrongful death nearly 2 years after Glee star drowns

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Glee “star of Naya Rivera the family reached an agreement in their case of wrongful death filed against various departments in California.

A lawyer for Rivera’s property confirmed the news to Fox News Digital in a statement Tuesday.

“In the trial of Josie Hollis Dorsey and the legacy of Naya Rivera related to Naya Rivera’s death by drowning on July 8, 2020, all parties have reached a global agreement, subject to approval by the Ventura Supreme Court on March 16.” Lawyer Amjad M. Khan, a partner of Brown, Neri, Smith & Khan LLP, and an adviser to Rivera’s youngest son Josie and her estate, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

The statement continued: “Through this agreement, Josie will receive fair compensation for having to endure the drowning of her beloved mother in Lake Pirou. Although the tragic loss of Josie’s mother can never be truly overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary agreement will be of great help to Josie in his life beyond this tragedy. ”

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The family of "Joy" star Naya Rivera has reached an agreement in her case for wrongful death, filed against the authorities in California.

Glee star Naya Rivera’s family has reached an agreement in their lawsuit against the California authorities for wrongful death. (AP)

The settlement comes nearly two years after the TV star died at the age of 33 from an accidental drowning in Lake Piru.

Naya’s ex-husband Ryan Dorsey and the late star’s estate have filed a lawsuit in 2020 in the Ventura County Supreme Court, claiming the actress’ death is preventable.

The departments named in the lawsuit include Ventura County, Ventura County Park and Recreation Management and the United Water Protection District – all of which have been tried for wrongful death and emotional stress due to negligence.

The complaint states that “when Naya arrived in the recreation area of ​​Lake Piru, without a drop of information or warning about the dangerous conditions of the lake, she rented a pontoon boat,” the documents said. The hiring process took minutes and did nothing to inform Naya of the dangerous conditions that could occur on the lake, including strong currents, winds and underwater debris, according to the complaint.

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Rivera was offered a life jacket by the hiring agent who served her and Josie, adding that she “politely declined because the vest is optional,” according to the complaint.

Naya Rivera died on July 8 when she drowned in Lake Priu near Los Angeles.

Naya Rivera died on July 8 when she drowned in Lake Priu near Los Angeles. (AP)

In addition, the documentation states that the rental agent “did not warn Naya to wear the vest, but instead simply put the vest in the boat for rent. Both an inspection and the rental agreement confirm that the boat is not equipped with the life-saving device required by California law, ”according to the complaint.

The Ventura County Court has confirmed that the cause of Rivera’s death was drowning, after completion of the autopsy report. The manner of death is indicated as an accident.

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Rivera was the object of a huge search effort led by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, which lasted five days after she rented a pontoon boat with her then 4-year-old son, Josie, and disappeared. Police confirmed that the body was found in the northeast corner of Lake Piru. Hours later at a press conference, authorities said they were “confident” it was the former star of Glee.

Rivera and her son went swimming during their trip – he was wearing a life jacket, but she wasn’t – and he returned to the boat, but she didn’t, the sheriff’s office said.

Naya Rivera was one of the original members of the cast in the series Fox "Joy."

Naya Rivera was one of the original cast members in the Fox series Glee. (LYSIA)

The child was found safely on the boat three hours later by another boatman. According to Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, Josie told investigators that his mother helped him get back on board the boat. Then he looked back and saw her disappear into the water.

The actress is perhaps best known for playing Santana Lopez in “Glee” between 2009 and 2015. Santana was a cheerleader in a musical comedy and appeared in 113 episodes of the series. Santana was one of the many LGBTQ characters on the show.

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“Naya Rivera was an incredible talent with a lot more to do and it’s such a terrible tragedy. “We are always grateful for the indelible contribution she made to Glee from the first episode to the last,” 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment said in a statement received from the Associated Press.

"Difficult conditions" made searching for Rivera's body difficult, even with "specialized equipment."

“Difficult conditions” made searching for Rivera’s body difficult, even with “specialized equipment.” (Frederick M. Brown / 2013 Getty Images)

Rivera’s son is from her marriage to Dorsey. The couple finalized their divorce in June 2018 after nearly four years of marriage. She writes in her memoirs that her son is “my greatest success and I will never do better than him.”