Somber Drew Carey seen for the first time since man who murdered his ex-fiancée was sentenced to life in jail
Comedian and TV host Drew Carey was spotted on Thursday – the first time since his ex-fiancée's killer was sentenced to life without parole – looking solemn as he headed out to a restaurant.
Gareth Pursehouse, 45, was given the maximum sentence Wednesday for the brutal 2020 murder of 38-year-old Amie Harwick in her Hollywood Hills home.
Carey, 65, wore a tan jacket, blue-and-white plaid shirt and dark pants as he carried a newspaper to iconic Los Angeles restaurant Bob's Big Boy for a post-conviction solo breakfast.
The Price is Right host dated Harwick for two years before the pair split in 2018, months after announcing their engagement.
In September, Pursehouse was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his ex-girlfriend Harwick after stalking her for a decade following a bad breakup.
TV host and comedian Drew Carey looked sad as he entered a restaurant one day after his ex-fiancée's killer was sentenced to life without parole
Carey wore a tan jacket, blue and white plaid shirt and dark pants as he carried a newspaper to iconic Los Angeles restaurant Bob's Big Boy for a solo breakfast on Thursday
Although Carey did not attend Wednesday's sentencing, he was subpoenaed to testify in the murder trial after exchanging text messages with Harwick two days before her death.
Harwick was in a relationship with Pursehouse until 2011, when they broke up and she obtained a protection order against him and told friends she was afraid of him.
Prosecutors said he broke into Harwick's Hollywood Hills home in February 2020 and waited about four hours for her to return in an attempt to “catch her off guard” while carrying a syringe containing a “lethal” dose of nicotine.
The former Playboy model was found unconscious after falling from a third-floor balcony in her home.
An autopsy report found that sex therapist Harwick died of head and torso injuries from a fall following an altercation.
Carey was subpoenaed to testify in the murder trial after exchanging text messages with Harwick, to whom he became engaged in 2018, two days before she died.
Pursehouse wore a dark-colored face mask and Carey-style glasses in court Wednesday as a judge told him he will never see the street again.
The verdict also stipulates that Pursehouse will never be granted parole during his incarceration, which will begin immediately in a California state prison.
It is the maximum amount allowed after executions were halted by Gavin Newsom.
Gareth Pursehouse, 45, was given the maximum sentence on Wednesday for the brutal 2020 murder of 38-year-old Amie Harwick
Although he was not present at Wednesday's sentencing, Carey previously spoke about Harwick's murder in a 2022 interview with 48 Hours.
There he shared the last text exchange he shared with his ex two days before she was murdered, as he revealed she had been worried about Pursehouse even while they were dating.
“When I heard she was murdered, I immediately thought, 'It has to be that guy,'” the former Whose Line Is It Anyway host said at the time.
'I got a text from her [two days before]”I would like to meet up with you and talk,” the 65-year-old continued. 'I said, 'Yes, I would love to. I love you.'
When 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty asked if he was “sad” that he “never got that opportunity,” the comic exploded.
“I never got it,” he said. “I never had the chance.”
At one point the interview pressed Carey that Harwick loved him, to which he responded, “That's the great comfort I get from it, is that she loved me… And I'm glad I got that message could convey to her before she died.'
“I hope you are lucky enough to have someone in your life who loves you as much as she does,” Carey said on Twitter in February upon learning of her death.
Harwick was a prominent marriage and sex therapist in Hollywood. She appeared on TV and radio shows and wrote a book called The New Sex Bible for Women.
When the interviewers asked if Carey was “sad” he “never had that chance” to meet Amie, the comic tore up. “I never got it,” he said. 'I never had the chance to do it'
Harwick was a prominent marriage and sex therapist in Hollywood. She appeared on TV and radio shows and wrote a book called The New Sex Bible for Women
The Price is Right presenter Drew Carey, 65, dated Harwick for two years before the pair split in 2018 – eight years after she broke up with Pursehouse, who was also a comedian
At the sentencing, Harwick's family and friends spoke about the consequences of the murder, which prosecutors proved was premeditated.
Tom Harwick, the father of the marriage and sex counselor, said: 'My name is Tom Harwick and I am the forever grieving father of my dearly departed daughter Amie.'
“I am going to read the following words from a newspaper for fear that I will forget, but rest assured that these words are recited from the depths of my heart.”
“I am deeply grateful for the service you have provided to me and my family during this terrible ordeal,” he continued, adding, “Amie has been served justice.”