Regina King has confirmed the death of her son, Ian Alexander Jr. Born just four days after her own birthday, the mother and son . The son of actor and director Regina King, Ian Alexander Jr., has died by suicide, her representative confirmed to NBC News Saturday. An actor who rose to fame onThe Cosby Show, Malcolm and fellow 80s-sitcom star Regina had been friends for years before they took their relationship to the next level. They appeared to be in good spirits, toasting one another, during a largefamilyparty. Did you encounter any technical issues? At the time of her son's death, King released the following statement: "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. Reach her at sophie.reardon@viacomcbs.com, First published on January 22, 2022 / 11:58 AM. He was an accomplished musician and DJ who performed as Desdun and had released a new single, Green Eyes, shortly before his passing. He was King's only child . Regina King welcomed her son with her ex-husband, music executive Ian Alexander Sr., on Jan. 19, 1996. Reese Witherspoon also left a supportive message beneath the post, writing, "Always remembering Ian and his bright spiritI love you.". "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," King says in. On the Spotify for Desdun, the name Ian Alexander Jr performed under, the young artist was described as a Renaissance man of our time, he sings, produces, acts, paints and even is a celebrity chef., Desdun grew up in a musical household and grew to have a deep appreciation for all aspects of music including DJing, production and recording., Suicide prevention resources: You're Not Alone. In 2017, she revealed that the pair got matching tattoos. Reese Witherspoon wrote, Always remembering Ian and his bright spirit. She needs all the grace and light that can flow her way right now. Discovery Company. My heart goes out to her.. The post featured photos of Ian surrounded cigarettes with them in his hands, his mouth, and thrown in the air. Love you mom! The only child of the Oscar-winning actor, she. Dozens of Twitter users replied using broken hearts and praying emojis. As for tributes they are cascading in "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais said, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. The two were very close, with Alexander Jr. often accompanying his mother on the red carpet. His 26th birthday was Wednesday. Praying for Regina King, Bernice posted. ", He continued, "But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. Several celebs have rallied around the actor in her time of grief, including Rosanna Arquette, Kid Cudi and Pam Grier. Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) [2] is an American actress and director. He was 26. Sending love light and prayers to Regina King and her family, Rosanna Arquette chimed in. The pair also has matching tattoos, which read "unconditional love" in Aramaic his on his shoulder and hers on her arm. Ian has often also accompanied his mom on red carpets, including in 2019 when he called her "super mom" while at the Golden Globes. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Ian Alexander Jr. and Regina King, wearing Gucci, attend the 2019 LACMA Art + Film Gala Presented By Gucci at LACMA on November 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Thank you.". King on Instagram Thursday shared video of a lantern glowing in the sky on what would. My grandfather actually gave me away at my . To have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for, he wrote in an Instagram post. Another image in the post is a closeup of what appears to be a cats eye. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for, Ian wrote. Ian was a DJ and singer-songwriter who performed under the name Desdun. Instagram video According to the DA's. This day and everyday YO DAY! "When you experience it, it's the most fulfilling [thing] ever. Updated CNN Regina King has paid tribute to her late son, Ian Alexander Jr., nearly one year after his death. Hear why. Link Copied! To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. ", And just a couple of months before he died, Ian posted a throwback pic of him, his mom and a friend, with the caption "My joys . News on the red carpet of the 2019 Golden Globes. Regina King is breaking her social media silence, a year after her son's tragic death. The 26-year-old was a buddingDJ/producer. Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian, King said in a statement shared with TODAY. He turned 26 on Wednesday. 8:03 PM EST, Sat January 22, 2022, Regina King releases statement after death of son. "To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something I will forever be grateful for. Ava DuVernay commented on the post with a quote, Ill choose for myself next time who Ill reach out and take as mine, in the way I might stand at a fruit stall having decided to ignore the apples, the mangoes and the kiwis. Did you encounter any technical issues? It was the first time that theWatchmenactress hosted the long-running NBC show. "January 19th is Ian's Worthday," King, 52, wrote, referencing what would have been her son . In an interview with USA TODAY in2018, the "Watchmen" actress shared that she and her son were extremely close, detailingthey had matching tattoos on their forearms reading "unconditional love" in Aramaic, which they learned while studying Kabbalah together. You dont know what unconditional love is. Following in his father's musical footsteps, Ian was a deejay. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454. King, an actress and director, confirmed Alexander Jr's death in a statement last week. We are all in different places on the planetso is Ian. The son of actor and director Regina King, Ian Alexander Jr., has died by suicide, her representative confirmed to NBC News Saturday. "His spirit is the thread that connects us. Ian's death was officially ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Coroner, a spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE Monday. As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence. This came as a surprise to King. One Night in Miami is a movie based on a play of the same name, and premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2020. Justin Theroux joined in with, Love you Regina. Ian Alexander Jr., son of Regina King, dies at age 26 "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," a family statement shared by a King spokesman said. The whole marvel universe ain't got s*** on you, your the real superhero! Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images, FILE, Garth Brooks interviews Reba McEntire about Not That Fancy album, memoir and more, Brooke Shields says filming for 'Mother of the Bride' is underway, Simone Biles and her fiance Jonathan Owens show off marriage license ahead of big day, Digital Deals: Save 50% on Companion Candles and more, MORE: Regina King explains why her new role is like nothing she's done before, Regina King explains why her new role is like nothing she's done before, Director Regina King shares what she hopes audiences take away from new film, 'One Night in Miami', Regina King dedicates 1st Oscar win to James Baldwin. The statement, which was shared with multiple news outlets, read: Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. When Regina King brought her son, Ian Alexander Jr., as her date to the 2019 Golden Globes, it wasn't the first time he tagged along with his mom to a big event.The 22-year-old, whom Regina had . Regina King has also been rumored to have dated Nicholas Gonzalez and Curtis Baldwin in the past, but neither of these relationships were ever confirmed. Thank you.. Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry, and gangsta! The post stated: Green Eyes out Friday. Both Ian Alexander Jr and Hudson Madsen are reported to have died by suicide at the age of just 26. He was Kings only child with record producer Ian Alexander Sr. On January 14, Alexander Jr, who was known as desdune online, tweeted: You know that episode of SpongeBob where they go inside his brain and its a bunch of mini spongebobs just losing their s**t yea that one really hits home.. ", Marc Lamont Hill wrote, "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," the statement read. It read: Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. Of course orange is your favorite colorIts the fire and the calm. Regina King hostedSaturday Night Liveon Saturday, February 13, 2021 with Nathaniel Rateliff as the musical guest. The whole marvel universe aint got s on you, your the real superhero, he added. In the interview, King said: Twenty years, were all together, this whole family of people are together because of these two [Ian and Brandon] and their lives together that brought us together. My heart breaks for you all. "Maaaan ListenI got this jam on repeat!" Regina King BREAKS SILENCE On Her Son's Shocking Death Misstee 96.4K subscribers Subscribe 944 52K views 1 year ago #reginaking Regina King BREAKS SILENCE On Her Son's Shocking Death In. His 26th birthday was Wednesday. The video shows an orange lantern floating across the sky after the sun has gone down. REGINA King's son Ian Alexander Jr's final tweets revealed his mental health fears - days before he took his own life. In 2011,King spoke of her "unconditional love" for her son. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. 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 [my mother] is, King said. Ian Alexander Jr, the only child of the Oscar-winning actor and director Regina King, has died. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. She went on to earn aGolden Globenomination for Best Director in 2020, with her debut film, One Night in Miami. According to the DA's. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. She doesn't really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He shared a picture where Spongebobs appear to be running and screaming while flames burn around them. "Our. He performed as Desdun, according to his Instagram page. She toldEssenceat 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 [her mother] is. 2. She needs all the grace and light that can flow her way right now., Praying for Regina King. Academy award-winning actor Regina King is mourning the death of her son, Ian Alexander Jr.The 26-year-old's death by suicide on January 21 came as a shock to his family, who issued a statement to . The actress posted an Instagram video of an orange sky lantern drifting through the air on Friday, marking her first social media upload since the 26-year-old's suicide in January 2022. There were "more than two and half times as many suicides" in the US than there were homicides, according to the report. "Our family is devastated at the deepest level. 0:56. He loves writing about pop culture, trending topics, LGBTQ issues, style and all things drag. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Speaking toE! He said, lets choose three [designs] each and not tell each other which ones they are and whichever one is matching, thats the one were going to get tattooed and we both chose unconditional love.. Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. pic.twitter.com/kumP7kwm0J, Maralee Nichols & son hit the beach in new pics as dad Tristan remains absent, Mama June reunites with cancer-stricken daughter Anna for chemo session, Fans say Travis 'deleted flirty comment' on Kylie's pic as she 'dates' Timothee, Netflix bashed for massive glitch during failed attempt to livestream show, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. 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