Popular Sex Therapist To The Stars Murdered & Ex-Boyfriend Is Arrested, Police Say

A popular Hollywood sex and family therapist is dead after falling from a balcony over the weekend, and police believe the act was murder, allegedly perpetrated by an ex-boyfriend.

Amie Harwick, who wrote The New Sex Bible for Women in 2014 among many other professional achievements, was allegedly pushed from a third-floor balcony at her Hollywood Hills home at around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. She was found by law enforcement, and later pronounced dead. She was just 38 years old.

According to KCAL, officers responded to several 9-1-1 calls of a woman screaming in the Hollywood Hills area just after midnight that evening. When they reached the home, a roommate who had escaped the altercation unharmed apparently told them that Harwick was being attacked inside.

Moments later, LAPD found the therapist with “serious injuries consistent with a fall” down on the ground three stories below her balcony. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital later in the morning. Upon investigation at the scene, cops quickly found evidence of an intruder in the home, as well as the fact that a struggle had taken place.

Hours later on Saturday afternoon police tracked down and arrested a former boyfriend of hers, 41-year-old Gareth Pursehouse, based on what evidence was presented to them at the scene. Additionally, it was revealed Amie had a restraining order against Pursehouse, a software engineer, but the order had recently expired, according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper also reports Harwick had recently indicated to friends she’d seen Pursehouse again and was concerned about the potential for him to harm her now that the restraining order had ended.

After being arrested and interrogated on Saturday afternoon, Pursehouse was booked into LA County Jail and is currently being held on $2 million bail, according to inmate records. It is not immediately clear when his next scheduled court appearance will be.

In addition to her professional work, Harwick was also well-known for a time as comedian Drew Carey‘s ex-fiancée. In January 2018, People reported that the Price Is Right host proposed to her, though later that year they ended their engagement. Fox News reported at the time the split was “very amicable.” Carey has not yet publicly commented on her death.

Others are, though, including some who were very close to Harwick, like writer/producer Kelsey Darragh (below):

fucking enraged to hear this news…she was my therapist. …we spoke in detail about my past history w domestic abuse. She dedicated her LIFE to helping women like me. feels unreal. RIP dr.amie https://t.co/v9AR3Xf4hE

— DONT F*CKING PANIC PREORDER 8/16! ????????✨???? (@kelseydarragh) February 17, 2020