Dana Carvey Is “Taking A Break From Work” To “Heal” After His Son Dex’s Sudden Death At Age 32

Dana Carvey is stepping away from the public eye as he and his family grieve the loss of his son, Dex Carvey. After Dex died of an overdose last week at age 32, Dana released another statement addressing his son’s passing.

The Saturday Night Live alum thanked his supporters for their kind words and announced that he will be taking time away from comedy and social media “to heal” after Dex’s death.

In a statement shared to his social media, Dana wrote that he and his wife, Paula Zwagerman, were “overwhelmed by your love, your personal stories, your compassion.”

“I will be taking a break from work and social media – trying to figure out what life looks like now that we are a family of 3,” his statement reads. “We will heal the best we can and carry on. Our darling Dex would have wanted it that way.”

He also wrote that they received “so many beautiful messages” from people who knew Dex. “These touched us more than we could ever express in words,” Dana added.

Dana announced on Nov. 16 that his son had passed away after experiencing an “accidental overdose.”

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“Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy,” Carvey wrote. “Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old. Dex packed a lot into those 32 years.”

In his statement, Dana said his son was a “beautiful person” who was “extremely talented at so many things.” The pair had worked together multiple times over the years as Dex built his own career in comedy. He even opened for his father’s Netflix comedy special, Straight White Male.

Carvey concluded his statement with a message to anyone struggling with addiction or substance abuse, writing, “We will miss him forever. To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers.”

Dex’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed, pending toxicology results.

According to TMZ, Dex passed away on Nov. 15 after he was discovered unresponsive in the bathroom. His girlfriend reportedly called first responders, but they were unable to revive him at the scene.

Saturday Night Live appeared to show their support for the family during this weekend’s broadcast. Colin Jost held up a sign at the end of the show that read, “We love you, Dana nad Paula.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.