Drew Carey Reveals The Last Words He Exchanged With Ex-Fiancee Before Her Tragic Death

Drew Carey and Amie Harwick's engagement didn't last, but the two remained close friends up until her untimely death. On February 15, 2020, authorities found 38-year-old Harwick dead outside her Hollywood Hills home, according to Fox News. An autopsy concluded Harwick, a well-regarded sex therapist and author, was strangled and thrown off a third-floor balcony, Page Six reported. Shortly after, Harwick's ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, with whom she lived about a decade prior, was arrested in connection with her death. 

Harwick had previously accused Pursehouse of abuse, requesting restraining orders against him, according to the Los Angeles Times. "He has suffocated me, punched me, slammed my head on the ground, kicked me," Harwick detailed in 2011 court documents. While Harwick's request was granted, the protection had expired by the time she died. Harwick and Pursehouse had last seen each other about a month earlier at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles, during which the man allegedly insulted her and accused her of destroying his life, according to Deadline. Pursehouse was charged with murder and burglary, but he pleaded not guilty in April 2020, the Associated Press reported (via Page Six). In September 2021, a judge ordered Pursehouse to stand trial. 

Carey and Harwick talked often after calling off their engagement in November 2018. Now, the comedian is sharing the eerie messages he and Harwick exchanged just days before she died.

Amie Harwick reached out to Drew Carey just days before her death, asking if she could see him. "I got a text from her: 'I would love to get together with you and talk. And I said, 'Yeah, I would love to do that. I love you," Carey said on a sneak peek video of the CBS special "48 Hours: The Final Hours of Amie Harwick" released February 9. But they never had the chance, something Carey regrets to this day. "The big solace I get from it is that she loved me. And I'm glad I could get that message to her before she died," he told Erin Moriarty.

In another sneak peek of the documentary set to air on February 12, one of Harwick's friends said the author of "The New Sex Bible for Women" was shaken by the chance meeting she had with Gareth Pursehouse the previous month at an awards shows. "She called several of her closest friends to sort of let people know that she had run into this dangerous ex of hers," the friend said.

Upon Harwick's death, Carey addressed the love he felt for his ex-fiancee. "Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime," he told People in a statement. "She was positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist. I am overcome with grief." 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.