Ian Alexander Jr., the son of Oscar winner Regina King, committed suicide on January 22, 2022.
A spokesperson for the actress confirmed the report.
Alexander was King’s only child and love, whom she shared with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr.
“The loss of Ian has devastated our family to the core. “He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about other people’s happiness,” King said in a statement released to the media.
No further information was provided, but fans scoured his social media for hints.
Alexander had indirectly opened up about his mental health struggles just days before the tragic loss.
“You know that episode of SpongeBob where they go inside his brain and it’s a bunch of mini spongebobs just losing their [expletive]…,” the struggling DJ tweeted on January 14.
Yes, that one hits home.”
He then reflected on his relationship with social media, saying, “I don’t think Instagram is healthy for me.”
Regina King and Her Son Adore Each Other
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Although King has not addressed the tragedy directly, she has frequently discussed her relationship with her son.
She has frequently spoken out about being a mother and raising her “biggest source of pride” over the years.
King admitted that raising Alexander on her own was difficult, but she loved nothing more than her son.
During a CNN Red Chair Interview in October 2020, she admitted that talking about the musician always made her cry.
“You have no concept of unconditional love. “You can say you do, but unless you have a child, you have no idea what that is,” she explained at the time.
And it appears that the love was reciprocated.
In anticipation of King’s 50th birthday in 2021, the DJ paid tribute to The Boondocks star on Instagram, writing that having King as his mother was the best gift he could have asked for.
He also referred to his mother as a “superhero” and expressed his admiration for her.
During the 2019 Golden Globes, Alexander told E! News that his mother was always there for him and never ruined their time together, even when she was having a bad day at work.
The Relationship Between Regina King and Her Son
Despite her growing Hollywood success, King never forgot to include her son in her celebrations.
Over the years, the acclaimed actress brought her only child to many star-studded events, including the premiere of Legally Blonde 2 in June 2003.
They also wore matching lavender outfits to the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
King was also present when Alexander voted for the first time.
She stated that she was overcome with emotion and that the experience was unforgettable.
The couple is so close that they have a matching tattoo, which the actress revealed on The View in 2017.
When King suggested choosing three designs separately in secret, she revealed that she and Alexander were taking Kabbalah classes.
And whichever one matched was going to get it tattooed. They ended up choosing unconditional love by chance.
The DJ got his tattoo on his shoulder, while King got hers on her arm.
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