Sex therapist slain at Hollywood Hills home

A sex therapist who was formerly engaged to US television star Drew Carey has reportedly been murdered outside her LA home.

Amie Harwick, a well-known Hollywood sex therapist and former fiance of US comedian Drew Carey, has reportedly been killed by an ex-boyfriend after a fight at her Los Angeles home.

Dr Harwick was discovered unresponsive on the ground below a third-storey balcony around 1.16am Saturday in Hollywood Hills after police were dispatched for reports of a woman screaming, according to CBSLA.

They met Dr Harwick’s roommate in the street, who told them Harwick was being assaulted inside the home.

Officers found Dr Harwick “gravely injured” and unresponsive. There was “possible evidence of a struggle” and signs of an intruder, LAPD said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department transported her to a local hospital, where she later died, according to a spokesperson.

Amie was the resource for so many survivors, and this happened to her. It is truly enraging and sickening that the world is just not safe for us. Especially for her. She dedicated her life to trying to make it safer for others and help us heal and overcome our trauma and fears.💔

— Emily Sears (@emilysears) February 17, 2020

RIP #AmieHarwick... Im in shock a friend from 16 years ago was murdered by her ex! This is why I don't believe in restraining orders...We were suppossed to have lunch next week..I hope the creep gets thrown away for life!!!! She was so smart & talentedhttps://t.co/xnGKEGDTEy pic.twitter.com/pUNeiRuKee

— jasmin st claire (@jasminstclaire) February 17, 2020

Dr Harwick’s ex-boyfriend, 41-year-old Gareth Pursehouse, was taken into custody and charged with murder, police said. The pair had recently broken up, according to Deadline.

The report said that detectives “learned that victim had recently expressed fear about a former boyfriend and had previously filed a restraining order” against him.

The restraining order had recently expired.

Dr. Amie Harwick at the "Rock To Recovery" benefit at The Fonda Theatre on October 2, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images.

Dr Harwick, the author of “The New Sex Bible for Women,” was engaged to Drew Carey in 2018. The couple reportedly had an “amicable split.”

In a 2018 interview with the podcast Holly Randall Unfiltered, Harwick described how Carey supported her in the face of negative comments on social media.

“’I bet she’s a gold digger. I bet she’s wanting him for this,’” Dr Harwick said in describing the comments. “Actually no, I have my own business and I have a degree.”

Tributes for Dr Harwick have poured in online.

Australian model Emily Sears tweeted Sunday that Dr Harwick was her therapist and “changed my life”. She added that Dr Harwick dedicated herself to “helping others heal from trauma”.