Dr. Amie Harwick was assaulted at her Hollywood Hills home this weekend.
February 18, 2020, 2:43 PM
6 min read
Devastated patients of Hollywood therapist Dr. Amie Harwick, who was killed this weekend allegedly by an ex-boyfriend, are opening up about how much she helped them.
Harwick — a well-known marriage and family therapist who worked with people suffering from domestic violence, according to her website — was assaulted at her home early Saturday. An ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, has been arrested.
Farrah Moan, a former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant, tweeted overnight, “Amie Harwick was the only therapist I’ve ever had, and she saved my life last year when I was really going through it. My heart hurts so bad for every one who was blessed to have her in their lives. She was so special.”
“She was able to help me come to terms with many of my past traumas and demons, and there wasn’t a single session that I didn’t cry during,” Moan tweeted. “I will never forget the lessons I learned from her and the coping skills she taught me to help improve my life. I am really really sad today.”
Model Emily Sears wrote on Instagram, “I am thinking about Amie with a mixture of sadness and anger. Nobody ever deserves this, but particularly someone who dedicated her life to helping survivors overcome the trauma and fears that come with living in a world where sexual assault and domestic abuse are normal.”
“Amie was my therapist, and she helped me to heal so many wounds from my past and guide me to having healthier relationships with both myself and others,” Sears wrote. “I never could have imagined in all the sessions we had, telling her about my fears of this happening to me, that this would end up happening to her. When she was the resource for so many of us-how do we process this?”
“None of us are safe, it’s so unfair,” Sears continued. “She did not deserve this, all she wanted to do was help people. She genuinely changed my life, and I know so many of my friends were also changed by having known Amie, as either clients or close friends of hers. My heart goes out to her family.”
Around 1:15 a.m. Saturday, officers in the Hollywood Hills responded to a radio call of a woman screaming, and Harwick’s roommate met them in the street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The roommate said Harwick was being assaulted, so he jumped a wall and went to a neighboring home to call for help, police said.
Officers found Harwick on the ground under a third-story balcony, said police. She was unresponsive and “gravely injured” with “injuries consistent with a fall,” said police.
Harwick was taken to a hospital where she later died, said police.
Authorities found possible evidence of a struggle, police said, as well as evidence of an intruder going into Harwick’s home and leaving after the crime.
Harwick “recently expressed fear about a former boyfriend” who she had filed a restraining order against, according to police.
The restraining order had since expired, police said, and Harwick saw her ex-boyfriend two weeks ago.
Harwick’s ex, 41-year-old Pursehouse, was arrested for murder on Saturday afternoon, police said.
Harwick also previously dated Drew Carey. Their engagement was confirmed in February 2018, Entertainment Tonight reported. They broke up by November 2018, according to Us Weekly.
“Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime,” Carey said in a statement Monday. “She was a positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist.”
“I am overcome with grief,” Carey said. “I would like to thank you in advance for giving myself and everyone who loved Amie privacy while we try to work through this tragic situation.”
Police said Pursehouse’s case will be presented to the district attorney for filing consideration on Wednesday.
ABC News’ Monica Escobedo contributed to this report.
