The perfect pair. Regina King and her son, Ian Alexander Jr., had a sweet relationship ahead of the musician’s January 2022 death.
The actress announced that her child by suicide days after his 26th birthday, writing in a statement at the time, “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 Boondocks alum shared her child with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr. The former couple were married from 1997 to 2007, welcoming their baby boy one year before their nuptials.
The Oscar winner brought her son to many red carpet events over the years, posing for photos at the Daddy Day Care premiere, the 2015 Emmys and more.
In January 2019, the Watchmen star wished Ian Jr. a happy 23rd birthday in a touching Instagram tribute.
“The best thing to ever happen to me happened on this date,” the Ohio native captioned a throwback photo of her son snacking in a football jersey and jeans. “And just like that you make your 23rd trip around the sun! There is not a person that crosses your path who would disagree with the fact that your presence makes their life brighter. What a gift to be your Mom. Thank you for whispering in God’s ear and saying, ‘I choose her to be my Mama.’ I can barely finish this post because tears of joy keep streaming down my face. My heart is exploding with love for you my young KING! Continue to dream boundlessly and hustle tirelessly.”
Weeks ahead of the “Green Eyes” singer’s passing, the mother-son pair celebrated 2022 together while appearing on CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live.
“With all we’ve been through the past few years [and] how different we all are, but the one thing that we all have in common is that we want to be seen,” Ian Jr. told Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper during the December 2021 event. “We all want to be included and we should be.”
The Golden Globe winner introduced another man named Brandon at the time, saying, “This is my son [and] my bonus son. Twenty years we’re all together, this whole family of people are together because of these two and their lives together that brought us together. And we kind of drink in the spirit of inclusivity, too, and progress.”
Keep scrolling to see King’s moments with her child over the years, from voting in November 2016 to attending the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2012.
