Dana Carvey's son Dex: the cause of his tragic death

On Nov. 16, famous comedian Dana Carvey announced that his 32-year-old son, the comedian Dex Carvey, died of an accidental overdose. But it took two months for coroners to confirm just what killed the promising comic...

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office website confirms that the cause of Dex's death was "fentanyl, ketamine and cocaine toxicity."

Dex was more than just the son of an iconic comedian — he was also an actor, funnyman, and editor in his own right, featuring in ‘Beyond the Comics,’ ‘Carpool Pandering,’ ‘The Funster,’ and ‘Joe Dirt 2,’ all between 2013 and 2016,

Shortly after Dex's death, mourning father Dana said Dex’s talents went beyond Hollywood. “He was extremely talented at so many things – music, art, filmmaking, comedy – and pursued all of them passionately,” read the statement.

After announcing his son’s tragic death, he posted a photo that showed them laughing together while reading a script that he captioned: “Dex and me working together. What a joy.”

Image: @danacarvey/Twitter

The ‘Wayne’s World’ star was struggling to cope with the shocking news. When a colleague Eric Willian sent his condolences, Dana replied: “Thanks Eric – im suffering — can’t believe this is happening.”

In 2016, Dex even opened for his dad’s 2016 Netflix Comedy special ‘Straight White Male,’ joking that his family was the “Von Trapp family of comedy” and that he looked like a "young Hugh Grant." In 2022, Dex was still performing stand-up in Los Angeles.

Image: Straight White Male/Netflix

While less is known about Dex in recent years, the statement from his distraught parents said “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dex loved life. And when you were with him, you loved life too. But most of all, he loved his family, his friends, and his girlfriend, Kaylee.”

Image: @danacarvey/Twitter

While the circumstances surrounding his accidental overdose remain unclear, Dana and Paula ended the statement by saying: “To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers.”

The couple has another son, Tom, who was born in 1994. Here, the two brothers are together after their performance at The Ice House Comedy Club in November 2014.

Other comediens and actors tried to send words of comfort to Dana Carvey after the announcement. "Dana I'm so so sorry," wrote Larry The Cable Guy. "So sorry for your loss," wrote actor Mark Hamill.

The latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control show that overdose deaths keep growing. In the 12 months leading up to May, 112,024 people died from overdoses, with the surge of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids making the drug supply extremely dangerous.

In case you don't know, Dana Carvey is a stand-up comedien and actor, perhaps best known for his seven seasons on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1993, which earned him five consecutive Emmy Award nominations. One of his most famous characters was the Church Lady... well, isn't that speeecial?!

In 1997, his SNL castmate Chris Farley died at a similar age as his son. Farley was just 33 when he overdosed on a lethal combo of cocaine and morphine. His collegue Phil Hartman was also killed by his wife Brynn in 1998, no doubt causing more shock in Carvey.

Carvey is also well known for starting as Garth in the 'Wayne's World' movies opposite Mike Meyers. In 1994, he had the leading role in the movie 'Clean Slate,' and has appeared in more than a dozen films since then.

While Carvey makes a lot of guest appearances, fans can get to know him most deeply via audio. In 2022, he began co-hosting the Fly on the Wall podcast with fellow SNL alum David Spade. In it, they interview a lot of stars and speak openly about their lives and struggles. After a break, Carvey returned to the show mid-January and shared his experience of losing his son.