In an emotional statement that she delivered on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of her son Ian Alexander Jr.’s passing, Regina King paid respect to her son and referred to him as her “leading light.”
The terrible passing of the Seven Seconds actress’s boyfriend on January 19, 2022, put her in a state of utter devastation, and in her first post on social media since his passing, she discussed the stages of the grieving process.
She posted a video of a paper lantern flying through the air along with a caption that read, “January 19th is Ian’s Workday. While we are still coming to terms with his physical absence, we rejoice in the fact that he is still with us.
“Ian is also located in a different part of the world than the rest of us. His spirit is the thing that ties all of us together. It goes without saying that orange is your favorite color… It is both the chaos and the quiet. I can feel your presence in the air that I take in. The aspect of myself that I am most proud of is the fact that I am Regina, the mother of Ian, who would later become God King. My guiding light, I ask that you continue to shine brightly.
At the time, Regina issued a statement that read: “Our family is grieved at the deepest level by the death of Ian, who passed away at the age of 26 by his own hand.” He was such a shining example of kindness and compassion, always looking out for the welfare of those around him. During this particularly private moment, our family begs that you treat us with the utmost respect. Thank you.”
Her son Ian was the only kid she ever had, and she named him after her ex-husband, Ian Alexander Sr., who was a record producer.
He was a deejay and had been doing so since he was young, following in his musician father’s footsteps.
Regina acknowledged that being a single parent was challenging for her, but she stated that having Ian as her child was both her greatest joy and her best achievement.
The mother and son team each sported identical tattoos that said “unconditional love” in Aramaic script.
They shared an unbreakable bond, and Ian had nothing but adoration for his renowned mother. They frequently made red carpet appearances together, and he raved to E! News about how amazing it was when they attended the 2019 Golden Globes together.
“She is the epitome of a wonderful mother. She doesn’t let anything like a hard day at work or anything else come back and destroy the time that we have together. It’s great that I have a mother that I can enjoy spending time with. It’s definitely a blessing.
Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text the word “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or visit the website suicidepreventionlifeline.org if you or someone you know is having thoughts of ending their own life.