Regina King's Son, Ian Alexander Jr., Dies at 26
Regina King's son, Ian Alexander Jr., has died. King's representatives confirmed the news. People reports that his death was by suicide. King's 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." Alexander was a musician. As a DJ, he performed under the name Desduné, releasing his new single, "Green Eyes," on January 7th. Alexander was King's only son. His father is Ian Alexander, whom King married in 1997 and divorced in 2007.
King is an acclaimed actress and director who, at 51, has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and four Emmy Awards. Her work includes leading HBO's Watchmen series, the Netflix Western The Harder They Fall, and Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk.
On Instagram, Alexander shared a tribute to his mother on her 50th birthday in 2021. "Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry and gangsta. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain't got sh-- on you, your the real superhero!
On another occasion, Alexander said of his mother, "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad work days or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."
In a 2017 appearance on The View, King told the story of her and Alexander getting matching tattoos. "We were taking Kabbalah classes," King said. "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."
Several other celebrities have expressed grief on King's behalf. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais writes, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind." Marc Lamont Hill said, "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. I pray that she's surrounded by love and healing energy."
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