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Naya Rivera's family and ex-husband have reached a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit following the Glee star's drowning in Lake Piru, California.
The 33-year-old actress died in July 2020 when she went out on a rented boat on the lake northwest of Los Angeles with her young son, Josey Hollis Dorsey. Her body was found in the lake five days later with her death officially ruled an accident.
The actress's family filed a lawsuit against Ventura County Parks and Recreation Management, and the United Water Conservation District over the incident and a lawyer representing the family said they had accepted a private settlement to help Rivera's young son, who "endured" his mother's death on the lake.
Josey Hollis Dorsey was just four years old at the time and the lawsuit also included negligent infliction of emotional distress.
"In Josey Hollis Dorsey and the Estate of Naya Rivera's litigation relating to the drowning death of Naya Rivera on July 8, 2020, all parties have entered into a global settlement, which is subject to approval by the Ventura Superior Court on March 16," Amjad M. Khan of Brown Neri Smith & Khan said in a statement to Sky News.
The attorney representing the family and ex-husband Ryan Dorsey said that they hope money from the settlement will assist Josey Hollis Dorsey "significantly" in his life.
"Through this settlement, Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru. 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," Khan said.
In a tweet, Brown Neri Smith & Khan said: "After nearly 2 years of litigation, grateful that our firm, led by @AmjadMKhanEsq, was able to bring this emotional matter to a close with a just and meaningful result for Josey, son of beloved actress Naya Rivera."
The family's lawsuit argued that the Glee star's death was preventable. It stated that the boat she and her son rented at Lake Piru did not have the proper features and equipment necessary to comply with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards.
Court documents also noted the lake's "deadly history" and pointed out that at least 26 other people have died in Lake Piru since its recreational facilities opened in 1959.
Court documents, according to People, state that the lake did not have "a single sign anywhere—not at the entrance, at the dock, at the popular swimming area of Diablo Cove, not anywhere—warning of the lake's 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."
Rivera was laid to rest on July 24, 2020 after a five-day search.
Newsweek has asked Brown Neri Smith & Khan, Ventura County Parks and Recreation Management and the United Water Conservation District for comment.
