Academy Award winner Regina King's only child dies by suicide
What's the story
Ian Alexander Jr., son of acclaimed actress Regina King, has died by suicide. The Academy Award winner confirmed the news in a statement to the media on Friday, January 21. Alexander Jr. had just turned 26th this Wednesday, January 19. He was the only child of King and ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr., who is a record producer. May his soul rest in peace.
Details
'Our family is devastated,' wrote King in statement
In the statement, as received by PEOPLE, the multi-hyphenate actress-director said, "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." The statement noted he died by suicide. No other details were shared.
Information
Alexander Jr. was musician and deejay by profession
Like his father, Alexander Jr. was also interested in music and was a musician and deejay by profession. King and Alexander Sr. had split in 2007 after 10 years of marriage, and the If Beale Street Could Talk actress had once admitted being a single mother wasn't an easy task. But she had stressed how her love for her son was "the most fulfilling."
Relationship
Mother-son duo shared matching tattoos that read 'unconditional love'
"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," King had said then. They shared a close bond and matching tattoos that read, "unconditional love" in Aramaic. Alexander Jr. used to often accompany his mother to red carpet events and had recently released a new song, Green Eyes.
Social media
Alexander Jr.'s last post talked about his show next week
The The Harder They Fall star had shared a link to Green Eyes on her Instagram handle last week, urging her followers to listen to the song. A truly supportive mom, King had also shared glimpses from Alexander Jr.'s "first live show" back in July 2021. According to the musician's Instagram account, he was supposed to perform live on January 28.
Do you know?
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is here
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can seek help from these helplines: Roshni Helpline (040 66202000), Connecting India (9922004305), or Saath (79 26305544). Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050.