Dana Carvey’s oldest son, Dex Carvey, has died, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus shared on Instagram.
“Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy. Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old,” Dana Carvey wrote in a joint statement with wife Paula Zwagerman on Thursday. “Dex packed a lot into those 32 years. He was extremely talented at so many things — music, art, film making, comedy — and pursued all of them passionately.”
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Dex died Wednesday at his home.
He followed in his father’s footsteps as a comedian and opened for his dad’s 2016 Netflix standup special, “Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60.” Younger brother Thomas Carvey is also credited as a warmup comedian in the special. According to his Instagram bio, he co-founded the Third Wheel Comedy Club in Los Angeles.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dex loved life. And when you were with him, you loved life too. He made everything fun. But most of all, he loved his family, his friends and his girlfriend, Kaylee,” Carvey and Zwagerman’s statement reads. “Dex was a beautiful person. His handmade birthday cards are a treasure. We will miss him forever.”
They added, “To anyone struggling with addiction of who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free and confidential treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It’s available 24/7 in English and Spanish (TTY: 1-800-487-4889).
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