Dana Carvey remembers son who died from accidental overdose: "Dex packed a lot into those 32 years"

The Saturday Night Live alum also said his son was a "beautiful person" who "loved life"

By Emma Keates | November 17, 2023 | 4:47pm

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Dana Carvey remembers son who died from accidental overdose:

Dana Carvey (L) and his son Dex (R) Photo: Paul Morigi; Michael S. Schwartz

Comedian Dana Carvey—best known for his seven-season stint on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1983—just shared some sad news. Earlier this week, his son, Dex, died from an accidental overdose. He was 32 years old.

Carvey shared the news on social media in a tribute to Dex cosigned by his wife, Paula. “Dex packed a lot into those 32 years,” the couple wrote. “He was extremely talented at so many things—music, art, film making, comedy—and pursued all of them passionately.”

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“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dex loved life,” Carvey’s post continued. “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.”

Like his dad, Dex was also a comedian and opened for Carvey’s 2016 Netflix special Straight White Male (via Entertainment Weekly). You can watch a video of that performance below. Before his death, he was also working with the comic series B-Sides to voice one of their characters and play himself in some of their animated sequences. “Dex was kind, he was generous, he was effortlessly funny,” B-Sides wrote in an Instagram post. “He was passionate about the project, inspired us creatively and went out of his way to help. He will be missed by everyone that knew him.”

In their post, Dana and Paula also took some time to recognize Dex’s struggle with substance abuse. “To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers,” they wrote.

Carvey also shared a few photos of Dex on Twitter/X, which were met with widespread condolences, including thoughts from fellow comedians Steve Martin and Henry Winkler. Dex is survived by his younger brother, Thomas.