Dana Carvey detailed the immense pain he and his wife have felt over the death of their son in his first podcast episode since the tragic loss.
“Doing this and riffing with you is going to be very healthy for me as I recover, because I’m kind of on the pain train with millions of other people on this planet,” the “Wayne’s World” star told co-host David Spade on their “Fly on the Wall” podcast Wednesday.
“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 explained, adding, “In the meantime, all this kind of stuff is very healthy.”
The comedian’s son Dex, whom he shares with wife Paula, died on Nov. 15, 2023, from an accidental drug overdose. He was 32.
“Last night we suffered a terrible tragedy. Our beloved son, Dex, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was 32 years old,” the couple wrote via Instagram at the time.
“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.”
Dana, who also shares a younger son named Thomas with his wife, announced days later that he would be “taking a break from work and social media” to “figure out what life looks like” going forward as a family of three.
Speaking on the podcast about why he returned to work, the actor explained, “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.”
He added that he thinks it’s “really cool to laugh.”
The “Saturday Night Live” alum, 68, also touched on the “outpouring” of support he and his family have received since Dex’s passing.
Spade also revealed that the mother of late actor Chris Farley even “wrote a letter” for him to give to Dana.
Dana said that while the outreach has been “very sweet,” grieving Dex is ultimately a “private journey” between himself, his wife and their son Thomas.
“And we do a lot of fun things,” he said. “We hike, we go to church. You just want to make sure you keep moving.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 800-662-4357.
