Dana Carvey says he’s ‘overwhelmed’ by support as he grieves his son

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Comedian Dana Carvey is feeling the “love” and support from his followers after the death of his grown son Dex Carvey.

The “Wayne’s World” actor expressed his gratitude in a message Saturday for the support he’s received, writing, “This is just to say thank you.”

“My wife and I have been overwhelmed by your love, your personal stories, your compassion,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We received so many beautiful messages from people who knew Dex. These touched us more than we could ever express in words.”

Dana Carvey noted he “will be taking a break from work and social media” as he tries to “figure out what life looks like now that we are a family of 3.” Carvey and his wife, Paula Zwagerman, are also parents to son Thomas Carvey.

The couple shared Thursday their son Dex, 32, died after suffering an “accidental drug overdose,” according to an Instagram post. The family did not disclose the drug.

Nearly 110,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in 2022, with more than two-thirds of cases involving a synthetic opioid, according to early estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers,” Dana Carvey wrote in the Instagram post.

Colin Jost holds a sign to support Dana Carvey and his wife at the close of the latest "Saturday Night Live" episode. - From NBC
Colin Jost holds a sign to support Dana Carvey and his wife at the close of the latest "Saturday Night Live" episode. - From NBC

Carvey is best known as a “Saturday Night Live” cast member between 1986 and 1993, and for playing Garth Algar alongside Mike Myers’ Wayne Campbell in the classic “Wayne’s World” franchise films.

Carvey received support Saturday from ”SNL” when the long-running sketch show’s “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost held up a sign that read, “We love you Dana and Paula,” at the end of the episode.

“We will heal the best we can and carry on,” Carvey wrote Saturday, adding, “Our darling Dex would have wanted it that way.”

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