Drew Carey may be known for his quick wit and charm as a beloved TV host, but behind the laughter lies a haunting tragedy.
The murder of his former fiancée, Amie Harwick, continues to cast a dark shadow over his life.
But it was the sudden death of his father that cast a dark shadow over his early years growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.
“My dad died when I was a kid, and soon after that, I started biting my nails,” he shared.
“It got so bad that I was biting my cuticles, the pads of my fingers, tearing the skin until they bled. It hurt to even hold a pencil, and I was ashamed of how my hands looked.”
After leaving university, Carey enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1980 and served for six years as a field radio operator in the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio. He adopted his crew cut hairstyle while serving in the military.
He later opened up about his suicide attempts, explaining that he first tried at 18 and again in his twenties.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Carey admitted. “The first time, I drank a couple of beers and took a whole bottle of Sominex, thinking it would work. My fraternity brothers rushed me to the medical center, and as I was throwing up, my friend Paul started singing the Sominex jingle: ‘Take Sominex tonight and sleep… sleep… sleep.’ I laughed so hard in that moment. Humor has always been my way out.”
Thankfully, Drew Carey turned things around. He began to rediscover himself, with the help of books and therapy. He learned to cope with his depression in a healthier way.
“I started reading books by Wayne Dyer, and one of them really hit me: Why am I walking around feeling guilty about everything? I realized I had been apologizing for existing.”
The tragedy in 2020
Since 2007, Drew Carey has been the host of the iconic game show The Price Is Right. He also made the decision to lose weight, and for a while, it seemed like his life was on the right track.
But in 2020, disaster struck with full force. That year, the heartbreaking news broke that Drew Carey’s former fiancée, Dr. Amie Harwick, had been tragically murdered.
In January 2018, Drew and Amie were more in love than ever, and the couple excitedly announced their engagement, revealing they’d been together for six unforgettable months before deciding to take the next step and marry.
At the time, Amie Harwick worked as a licensed marriage and family therapist, as well as an accomplished author, having written self-help books such as The New Sex Bible for Women.
Despite their breakup, there was no denying the strong affection they still had for each other. In fact, Drew got emotional when he spoke about their time together on his Sirius XM show ”Drew Carey’s Friday Night Freak-Out.”
During one broadcast, Carey recalled that in September 2018, he had been in the ”best relationship” of his life with Amie. He admitted that even after their breakup, they still loved one another.
Drew described Amie as fun, beautiful, and someone who truly cared about others, and it brought him joy to witness her improve their lives.
“Out of the blue, she texted me: ‘Hey, it’s Amie. I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness. I would love to get together and talk.’ I told her I loved her and that I’d see her the next week,” he recalled.
Just days later, Harwick was killed.
“It destroyed me for a while. There was no closure,” Carey said.
“A friend later told me that she shed tears when she read that message. She still cared. I still loved her.”
It’s clear that this tragedy, along with everything else Drew has gone through in his life, has deeply affected him. I truly admire his strength in sharing such personal and painful experiences so openly. I believe his story has the power to help many who are going through or have gone through similar situations.
Rest in peace, Amie, and Drew, we think you’re truly amazing! Your strength and openness inspire us all.
