Dana Carvey‘s son, Dex Carvey, died on November 15, 2023, and now the official cause of death has been revealed. Nearly two months after the tragic passing, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that the late 32-year-old died from an accidental drug overdose, per PEOPLE. Although Dana and his wife, Paula Zwagerman, claimed their son died from an accidental drug overdose, L.A. County officials did not reveal the final cause of death until January 23.
The medical examiner also revealed that Dex had fentanyl, ketamine, and cocaine in his system at the time of his death, as reported by the same magazine. Confirmation of Dex’s death by toxicity follows a somber statement by the Wayne’s World star about his son’s death via Instagram. “Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy,” Dana and Paula wrote at the time. “Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old.”
The statement highlighted how much Dex “loved life” during his 32 years. “Dex packed a lot into those 32 years,” his parents statement continued. “He was extremely talented at so many things–music, art, film making, comedy–and pursued all of them passionately. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dex loved life.” At the time of his death, Dex’s girlfriend, Kaylee, was the one to call for help, as reported by TMZ.
Dex’s famous father acknowledged Kaylee in the statement. “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,” they added. “Dex was a beautiful person. His handmade birthday cards are a treasure. We will miss him forever.”
Dana and his wife of over four decades concluded their note by sending love to anyone else who might be suffering. “To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers,” they wrote.
More recently, Dana opened up about the heartbreaking loss during the January 17 episode of his and David Spade’s podcast, Fly on the Wall. The comedian noted that returning to the podcast will be beneficial for him as he recovers through his grief. “’Cause I’m kind of on the pain train with about millions of other people on this planet,” he explained. “And you don’t know how long you’re going to be on it or when it will stop or when it will get better. But in the meantime, all of this kind of stuff is very healthy.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).