Drew Carey Speaks Out Following Sentencing of Former Fiancée's Killer

Drew Carey recently opened up about how he was able to find closure in the wake of the death of his former fiancée. On Feb. 15, 2020, Dr. Amie Harwick — a Hollywood relationship therapist who was engaged to Carey in 2018 — died after being strangled and thrown from her balcony by an ex-boyfriend, who has since been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

"I can barely remember the guy's name – that's how much I've put him out of my life – but ever since the final sentencing, it feels like we've all let out a breath and are able to finally move on," Carey told PEOPLE in a new interview. "The whole process is over now, and there's nothing else to be done and nothing else to worry about. ... Just speaking just for myself, it's been quite a load off."

Carey went on to reveal that he keeps photos of Harwick around his home, as well as in his dressing room at The Price is Right. "She's with me always," he says. "A lot of times I'll feel like I'll be thinking things through, and it's almost like I can hear her voice saying, 'Well, really, it's because of this and that.' It's really nice, honestly."

Carey and Harwick first met in 2017 at a party in Hollywood. He was 58 and she was 35 at the time. They hit it off and began dating soon after. The couple became engaged in January 2018 but ended their relationship that November. Although they remained close after their split, they had drifted apart before her death.

In 2022, during a candid 48 Hours interview for the show's "The Final Hours of Amie Harwick" investigation, Carey spoke with correspondent Erin Moriarty, telling her that he "just started crying" upon learning of Harwick's death. "I just – I couldn't even stand up," he said. Carey also recalled communicating with Harwick a couple of days before her tragic death.

"Valentine's Day was a Friday," Carey remembered. "I got a text from her on Thursday. [She] said, 'Hey, I know we haven't talked in a while, but I've been doing a lot of thinking about, you know, forgiveness, and I would love to get together with you and talk.' And I said, 'Yeah, I would love to do that. I love you.'" He then added, "I say that to a lot of people, but, I mean it. And I was really happy, like, 'Oh, it'd be great to see her again.'"