Rest in peace, Dr. Amie Harwick.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Apr 05, 2020
Dr. Amie Harwick was a successful sex therapist who had a world-class clientele and wrote several books giving quality help to her patients. She was, for a time, engaged to The Price is Right host Drew Carey, though they ended their engagement after a little less than a year.
But, what was even more unfortunate was the fact that she became yet another victim of domestic violence.
How did Dr. Amie Harwick die? She was allegedly murdered by an ex-boyfriend.
On Saturday, February 15, 2020, Dr. Amie Harwick fell from a balcony. Police who arrived on the scene revealed that Harwick's roommate reported that she was "being attacked" inside, and an investigation on the scene revealed that she had injuries "consistent with a fall" from a third-story balcony. She was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead there.
Harwick's ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, has been arrested in connection with her death.
Shortly after Harwick was pronounced dead, her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, was arrested in connection with her murder. The 41-year-old is currently being held on $2 million bond and in the past, Harwick had placed a restraining order on Pursehouse and told detectives that she lived "in fear" of him. However, the restraining order expired just two weeks before Harwick's murder.
She was originally from Pennsylvania.
Harwick was a native of Lansdale, PA, and her death made the local news in the area. In 2014, she wrote the successful book, The New Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy. She also received the Phillips Graduate Institute stipend award for her work with underprivileged children, and she received several industry awards and commendations for her quality work in psychotherapy, as a whole.
Harwick was engaged to Drew Carey in January 2018.
In January 2018, Carey — who had become the host of The Price Is Right by that point — announced that he was engaged to Harwick. However, their relationship didn't last and they announced that they'd called off their engagement later that year. Prior to Harwick, Carey was engaged to Nicole Jaracz; that relationship didn't last, either.
Her last Instagram post was dedicated to "platonic love."
Just three days before she was murdered, Harwick took to her Instagram page to share the importance of "platonic love."
"Many people are celebrating love today. Whether you are in a relationship or not, exposure to this could feel overwhelming if you are in an unhealthy relationship, dissatisfied with your relationship status, unhappy in your relationship, or feeling pressure to be in a relationship. I think that Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to be mindful and redirect thoughts about love to platonic love. There is so much cultural emphasis on romantic love, but let’s be thankful for the authentic love that we give and receive to friends," she wrote.
Carey issued a statement on Twitter about Harwick's death.
Our thoughts are with Dr. Amie Harwick's family and friends during this difficult time.
No matter where you are in your relationship, planning for your emotional and physical safety is extremely important. The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to empower victims and survivors to find safety and live free of abuse. Resources and help can be found by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing may use TTY 1-800-787-3224.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.