EXCLUSIVE: Dana Carvey's Heartbreaking Grief Laid Bare – Comedian 'Comes Across a Haunted and Wounded Man' After His Eldest Son's Death at 32 From Accidental Overdose
Dana Carvey's grief is laid bare as the comedian 'comes across a haunted and wounded man' after his son's death at 32.
Sept. 10 2025, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Comedian Dana Carvey has continued to deliver smiles and laughter as the Saturday Night Live alum privately grapples with the tragic 2023 overdose death of his beloved son Dex, according to concerned friends, who fear the grief-stricken funnyman is spiraling amid the strain of forcing himself to put on a brave face for his fans, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"Dana has continued to work, continued to perform live and continued to podcast during this extended mourning period, and he hasn't said a lot about Dex's death publicly," an insider shared. "But when he's off the mic and when he's not onstage, he comes across like a haunted and wounded man."
Their Painful Loss
Paula Zwagerman joined husband Dana Carvey in honoring their son, Dex, after his tragic overdose.
Dana and his wife, Paula Zwagerman, released a statement after 32-year-old Dex's sudden passing on Nov. 15, 2023, saying the oldest of their two kids was "extremely talented at so many things – music, art, filmmaking, comedy – and pursued all of them passionately."
The couple added: "To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers."
The Wayne's World cut-up, 70, also separately shared on Instagram that his family "will heal the best way we can and carry on" as "Dex would have wanted it that way."
About 10 weeks later, a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Dex died after ingesting a combination of fentanyl, ketamine and cocaine.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Dex died from a drug combination.
The insider confides that Dana and Dex had an "incredible, joyous rapport" and "sometimes they could pass for best friends instead of father and son."
The source pointed out Dex was the center of his doting dad's world "for such a long time," and his absence can be felt "every time you're around Dana," who can "sometimes seem like he's in a fog."
Dana Will Never Be The Same
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The comedy community has rallied around Carvey as he mourns his son's loss.
Sadly, the insider noted, the comic's signature "boyish charm" has been "dimmed by this incomprehensible loss."
The source noted the sympathetic comedy community is embracing the Carveys but added: "I don't think Dana – the man, not the performer – will ever be the same. Something got shaken loose in him, and there's no putting it back."
