Who was Regina King’s son Ian Alexander Jr. and what was his cause of death?
ACTRESS Regina King's son Ian Alexander Jr. has died aged 26.
The devastated Oscar winner said her son was a “bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others."
Who was Regina King's son, Ian Alexander Jr.?
Ian Alexander Jr. was Regina King’s only son, whom she shared with her former husband Ian Alexander Sr.
Ian was a DJ and singer-songwriter who performed under the name Desduné and posted on Instagram just three days ago about an upcoming event at Bardot this month.
Just last week, Regina took to Instagram to urge her followers to support her son's new single, Green Eyes.
He was also a celebrity chef who told Flaunt Magazine in May 2021 that he hoped to develop his private dinner parties into a restaurant.
The Emmy-winning actress often spoke of her close bond with her son, revealing on The View in 2017 that the pair got matching tattoos.
She shared: "We were taking Kabbalah classes. He said, 'let’s choose three [designs] each and not tell each other which ones they are and whichever one is matching, that’s the one we’re going to get tattooed' and we both chose unconditional love.”
Ian often accompanied Regina on red carpets, most notably at the 2019 Golden Globes when he branded her "super mom".
Speaking to , he said: "She doesn't really let bad work days or anything come back and ruin the time that we have.
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"It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."
What was Ian Alexander's cause of death?
Regina King, 51, confirmed her only child's death in a statement on Friday in which she branded Ian a "bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others".
No cause of death has been made public, but both and blog have reported that he died by suicide.
He turned 26 on January 19, two days before his death.
What has Regina King said about Ian Alexander Jr's passing?
The Oscar winner, 51, confirmed her only child's death in a statement on Friday in which she branded Ian a "bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others".
The statement reads: "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian.
"He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."
In 2011, Regina, who separated from Ian's father after nine years of marriage in 2007, spoke of her "unconditional love" for her son.
She told at the time: "I get emotional because my son is an amazing young man, and it took me to be a mother for me to realize how incredible of a woman she (my mother) is.
"You don’t know what unconditional love is. You may say you do, but if you don’t have a child, you don’t know what that is.
"But when you experience it, it is the most fulfilling ever. So, that is the greatest part about me. Being a mom to Ian."
In an interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, King .
"When it comes to depression, people expect it to look a certain way and they expect it to look heavy," the Oscar-winning actress said.
"To have to experience this and not be able to have the time to just sit with Ian's choice, which I respect and understand, that he didn't want to be here anymore."
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"That's a hard thing for other people to receive because they did not live our experience, did not live Ian's journey."
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.