Dana Carvey Plans to Take ‘Break From Work’ After Son Dex’s Death

Dana Carvey with an inset of his son Dex Carvey. INSTAR; Getty Images

Dana Carvey plans to take a step back from his career following the death of his son Dex.

“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 three,” Carvey, 68, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, November 18, also reposting it on his Instagram Story. “We will heal the best we can and carry on.”

He continued: “Our darling Dex would have wanted it that way.”

The Saturday Night Live alum and wife Paula Zwagerman announced on Thursday, November 16, that their eldest son, Dex, had died at the age of 32. (Carvey and Zwagerman, 62, also share son Thomas, 30.)

“Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy. Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose,” Carvey and Zwagerman wrote in a joint social media statement. “Dex packed a lot into those 32 years. He was extremely talented at so many things — music, art, filmmaking, comedy — and pursued them passionately.”

They continued at the time: “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. Dex was a beautiful person. His handmade birthday cards are a treasure. We will miss him forever.”

Courtesy of Dana Carvey/Instagram

Several hours after Dex’s death, Carvey shared a handful of photos of “[his] boy” on Instagram. “Dex and me working together. What a joy,” the comic wrote on Thursday alongside one snap.

Many of Carvey’s former SNL costars offered their condolences in the Instagram comments section of his posts, including Molly Shannon, Kenan Thompson and Chris Kattan.

“This is just to say thank you. My wife and I have been overwhelmed by your love, your personal stories [and] your compassion,” Carvey added on Saturday. “We received so many beautiful messages from people who knew Dex. These touched us more than we could ever express in words.”

Dex, like his brother Thomas, had been following in Carvey’s comedy footsteps. Dex appeared in his dad’s 2013 miniseries The Funster and 2015’s Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. Dex also served as the opening act for Carvey’s 2016 Netflix special, Straight While Male. In addition, Dex founded Third Wheel Comedy, a live performance venue in Hollywood. He was working on an upcoming project with B-Sides Comic ahead of his death.

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).