Dana Carvey opens up about son Dex’s death: Still ‘on the pain train’

The 'SNL' star confirmed his son died of an accidental drug overdose at age 32

Dana Carvey is breaking his silence on his son’s death. 

The "Saturday Night Live" alum revealed his decision to speak out about his eldest son, Dex, who died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 32 in November. 

"I thought about this over the holidays and decided to come back to the podcast because I think, you know, it’s a long day when you’re not working and you get in your head," Carvey shared on "Fly on the Wall," the podcast he hosts with David Spade.

DANA CARVEY THANKS SUPPORTERS FOLLOWING SON DEX’S DEATH AS HE TAKES BREAK FROM ACTING

dana and dex carvey

Dana Carvey breaks silence on son Dex’s death on his podcast with David Spade. (Getty Images)

"I think it’s going to be a great break, and I think it’s really cool to laugh."

Spade agreed and replied, "It’s nice to do the show again" after Carvey went through the tumultuous time with his family. 

Since Carvey’s son's death, the comedian shared how he and his family have been coping with the loss.

"It’s me and my wife and our son’s private journey," he continued, referring to his younger son.

"We’re all together, and we do a lot of fun things… We hike, we go to church. You just want to make sure you keep moving."

'SNL' STAR DANA CARVEY'S SON, DEX, DEAD AT 32

Dana Carvey split screen photo with his son Dex Carvey

Carvey expressed his gratitude for the "outpouring" of love and support he received in the wake of his "family’s loss." (Getty Images)

Carvey admitted that returning to the podcast and "riffing" with his good friend Spade "is going to be very healthy for me as I recover."

"’Cause I’m kind of on the pain train with about millions of other people on this planet. And you don’t know how long you’re going to be on it or when it will stop or when it will get better," he added. 

"But in the meantime, all of this kind of stuff is very healthy."

Elsewhere in the interview, Carvey expressed his gratitude for the "outpouring" of love and support he received in the wake of his "family’s loss."

In November, after Dex’s death, Carvey thanked his fans for their well-wishes and announced he was going to take a break from acting. 

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Dex Carvey performing on stage

"Saturday Night Live" star, Dana Carvey's son, Dex died of an accidental drug overdose on November 15. He was 32. (Al Pereira/Getty Images)

The "Wayne’s World" star shared that he 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 3."

APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST

 View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dana Carvey (@thedanacarvey)

A week before, Carvey confirmed Dex's cause of death.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

He posted the news on social media, writing, "Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy. Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old."

The statement continued, "Dex packed a lot into those 32 years. He was extremely talented at so many things--music, art, film making, comedy--and pursued all of them passionately.

"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."

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, Dex died at his residence. An autopsy was completed the following day.

Dex was the eldest of Carvey's two sons with wife Paula Zwagerman. Their youngest, Thomas, is 30.

Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an Entertainment Writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon.

Authored by Stephanie Giang-Paunon via FoxNews January 17th 2024