Despite his popularity as a TV host and his reputation for charm and wit, Drew Carey’s humor has a melancholy undertone.
He is still troubled by the murder of his ex-fiance, Amie Harwick.
Inside Drew Carey’s horrifying early years
Because people are constantly observing your personal life, being a Hollywood star isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. And once you’ve gone through real-life struggles, the rumors just get more serious. But one celebrity who has taken control of his own story is actor and TV personality Drew Carey.
Even though discussing difficult and terrible experiences openly is never easy, I hope Drew’s heartbreaking journey may encourage others to discuss their own struggles. Although it’s not necessary to do so in public, Drew has regularly utilized his position to help people who have gone through their own traumas.
It may not be well known that Drew Carey, 66, had a challenging childhood.
Drew’s father passed away from a heart attack when he was just 8 years old, which undoubtedly had a significant impact on the young child’s mental health. School wasn’t easy for him however, since he was expelled twice for poor academic performance.
However, the premature death of his father tainted his early years in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I began biting my fingernails soon after my father died when I was a kid,” he disclosed.
It got so bad that I bit my finger pads and cuticles, tearing the skin until it bled. It hurt to even hold a pencil, and I was self-conscious about how my hands looked.
Suicide attempts
Drew and his two brothers were raised by their mother, who had to work two jobs to make ends meet.
“I have been in a lot of desperate situations,” Drew told the Kirkland Reporter in 2010.
He also revealed that he had been molested, suffered from depression, and made two attempts at suicide by taking large amounts of sleeping pills.
After graduating from college, Carey enlisted in the USMC Reserve in 1980 and served as a field radio operator for six years with the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio. He adopted his crew cut hairstyle while serving in the military.
He went on to discuss his suicide attempts, claiming to have tried twice while he was in his thirties and once when he was eighteen.
“I had no idea what I was doing,” admitted Carey. “I had a few drinks and a full bottle of Sominex since I thought it would work the first time. My friend Paul started singing the Sominex jingle as I was throwing up, saying, “Take Sominex tonight and sleep… sleep… sleep.” I was rushed to the hospital by my fraternity mates. I started giggling at that point. Laughter has always been my getaway.
Thankfully, Drew Carey improved the situation. He began to rediscover himself with the help of literature and therapy. He learned how to manage his depression in a healthy way.
One of Wayne Dyer’s books truly struck a chord with me as I started reading it: Why do I feel horrible about everything? I realized I had been apologizing for being here at all.
The tragedy of 2020
Since 2007, Drew Carey has been the host of the well-known game program The Price Is Right. After he made the decision to lose weight, his life seemed to be moving in the right direction for a while.
But in 2020, disaster struck with full force. The murder of Drew Carey’s ex-fiance, Dr. Amie Harwick, was shockingly exposed that year.
Drew and Amie were more in love than ever when they declared their engagement in January 2018. They claimed to have spent six unforgettable months together before deciding to tie the knot.
At the time, Amie Harwick was a registered marital and family therapist in addition to being a popular author of self-help books like The New Sex Bible for Women.
She earned a psychology bachelor’s degree and a clinical psychology master’s degree from Pepperdine University. Her work as a well-known Hollywood star, educator, and advocate for women’s rights was featured on her website and Instagram.
Unfortunately, the romance between Drew and Amie ended very soon after they first met. In November 2018, Carey called off their engagement, and the couple parted ways.
stayed in love with each other.
Even after their breakup, their deep love for one another was undeniable. Drew really started crying when he discussed their time together on his Sirius XM show, “Drew Carey’s Friday Night Freak-Out.”
In one broadcast, Carey recalled that in September 2018, he and Amie were in the “best relationship” of his life. He admitted that even after their breakup, they still had feelings for each other.
According to Drew, who loved watching Amie change people’s lives, she was charming, attractive, and truly caring about other people.
With nostalgia, he remembered how, while they were together, he would email her the set lists for his Sirius XM show, and how she had once been moved by one of his compositions. The two would often play it over and over again, singing along and dancing in the kitchen or even slow-dancing in the bathroom.
Drew disclosed that they would hold hands in the car while listening to their own music, which held a lot of sentimental value for them. He played the set list to demonstrate to his audience how much he and Amie had loved each other.
“A scream that stops the heart”
Given all of the foregoing, it is simple to understand how startling Drew’s learning of Amie’s murder must have been. On February 15, 2020, Amie, 38, was found gravely injured outside her home in the Hollywood Hills.
The roommate of Amie Harwick, Michael Herman, told how a “bloodcurdling scream” woke him up that morning. Upstairs, he immediately realized that Amie was being attacked.
The murderer was Amie Harwick’s ex-boyfriend, who had assaulted her inside her home.
Three days later, disturbing new reports emerged. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office determined that Amie’s death was a homicide when it was found that she had “fallen” from a third-story balcony.
The cops said the suspect had a black eye and a bite mark on his bicep.
“To us, it was indicative of Amie fighting for her life,” Judge Victor Avila told 48 Hours. “However, it’s evident that she encountered a far more powerful opponent.”
According to reports, Harwick had already obtained two restraining orders against Gareth Pursehouse, the man accused of her murder. She had dated Drew for more than a decade before she began dating him.
Pursehouse was first held on a $2 million bond upon his arrest; a few hours after posting bail, he was taken into custody once more. In April 2020, he pleaded not guilty to the murder of his ex-girlfriend. After being convicted guilty of killing Amie, Gareth Pursehouse was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The final hours of Amie Harwick
In February 2022, the second anniversary of Amie Harwick’s untimely death, Drew Carey spoke openly in an interview with 48 Hours titled “The Final Hours of Amie Harwick.” He said he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to enjoy Valentine’s Day in the same way because of the severe emotional toll of losing her.
The television star declared that he no longer wished to remember the day, seeing it as a remembrance of pain instead of love. After giving Amie a lot of thought, he came to the conclusion that their connection had been incredibly intimate and priceless, a time when they could be completely themselves with one other.
One of the worst things Carey said was that three days before Amie’s tragic death, he had received a text from her.
Suddenly, she texted me, “Hey, it’s Amie.” I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness. I would really like to get together and talk. “I told her I loved her and that I’d see her next week,” he recounted.
A few days later, Harwick was killed.
It broke me for a time. “There was no closure,” Carey said.
A friend later told me that she began crying after reading that message. She continued to worry. I was still attracted to her.
I met her friends at the funeral.
In order to avoid triggers, Drew now admits that he closely monitors his mental health. He still talks about Amie’s death in public, though, most notably in an interview with US Weekly.
He added that he thinks about her “every day” and “all the time,” saying that her passing “still affects me and shapes my views on relationships and intimacy.”
At the funeral following her passing, Amie’s three closest friends remarked, “We wanted to tell you how much Amie loved you and cared for you and how well she spoke of you.” I was deeply moved by it. They are now some of my best friends. Additionally, I was able to reconnect with her mother, father, and brother. We stood by each other during Harwick’s ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse’s trial and funeral. He was convicted guilty of throwing her from the third-floor balcony of her house and strangled her to death. Now, Amie’s legacy and the principles she espoused support us,” Drew remarked.
It’s clear that this tragedy and everything else that has happened to Drew have had a significant influence on him. I truly admire his bravery for being so honest about such personal and painful experiences. I believe that many people who are going through or have gone through similar situations could benefit from his story.
Drew and Amie, you are very amazing, in our opinion. Peace be with you! We are all inspired by your bravery and openness.
