Amie Harwick, sex therapist and ex-fiancée of Drew Carey, was killed. Police arrested an ex-boyfriend in connection with her death
Amie Harwick, a Hollywood sex therapist and ex-fiancée of comedian Drew Carey, was killed over the weekend, Los Angeles police said. An ex-boyfriend has been arrested as a suspect in her death, police said.
Harwick, 38, was found unresponsive in her home early Saturday with injuries consistent with a fall, according to a statement from the LAPD.
Police responded to reports of a “woman screaming” in Harwick’s Hollywood Hills neighborhood, the statement said. They met Harwick’s roommate in the street, who told them Harwick was being assaulted inside the home.
Officers found Harwick on the ground beneath a third-story balcony. She was “gravely injured” and unresponsive, LAPD said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department transported her to a local hospital, where she later died, the statement said.
An investigation showed evidence of a struggle upstairs, as well as forced entry into Harwick’s home, LAPD reported.
An FBI-LAPD Task Force arrested Gareth Pursehouse, 41, on Saturday afternoon, the statement said. He’s being held on a $2 million bail, according to jail records.
It’s unclear if Pursehouse has an attorney.
Harwick had recently expressed fear about a former boyfriend and filed a restraining order against the man, the statement said, but the restraining order had expired, and the LAPD said she’d seen the man two weeks before her death.
The LAPD statement said police would present the case to the District Attorney for filing consideration on Wednesday.
A Hollywood therapist and sex work advocate
Harwick was a well-known therapist in West Hollywood, specializing in family and sex counseling. She regularly appeared on podcasts, TV and her YouTube channel to discuss her work.
A former Playboy model, Harwick also advocated for sex workers and supported a nonprofit that subsidized mental health care for performers in the adult industry.
Harwick became engaged to Drew Carey, host of “The Price is Right,” in 2018. The pair split less than a year later.
Clients and friends mourned her death.
“[Harwick] was my therapist,” model Emily Sears tweeted on Sunday. “Her work changed my life. It’s truly heartbreaking that she passionately dedicated her life helping others health from trauma and live freely.”
“We spoke in detail about my past history w [sic] domestic abuse,” E! producer Kelsey Darragh tweeted. “She dedicated her LIFE to helping women like me. Feels unreal. RIP Dr. Amie.”
