It has been two years since Regina King’s only son Ian Alexander Jr. took his life, leaving the Academy Award winner in a state of grief ever since. Known for her work in films including If Beale Street Could Talk, and Boyz n the Hood, the actor rose to mainstream prominence after starring in Jerry Maguire, and would later go on to excel as a director.
However, tragedy struck when she lost her only child in 2022 to suicide, which led to the actor completely disappearing from the public limelight. But finally, King has broken her silence, giving an insight into how the loss turned her life around.
Regina King Opens Up About How Grief Reshaped Her
Only two days after his birthday, Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life on 21 January 2022. Grief-stricken by the loss of her only son, whom she shared with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr., Regina King completely cut ties with the rest of the world. Two years after the tragedy, the Watchmen Star has finally opened up about dealing with the loss in a tearful interview, stressing that she is a completely different person now.
Joining Robin Roberts in an upcoming Good Morning America interview, she explained that grief is “love that has no place to go”, stating it’s important to honor Alexander Jr. “in the totality of who he is”.
“Grief is a journey, you know. I understand that grief is love that has no place to go,” she said. “I know that it’s important to me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is, speak about him in the present, because he is always with me and the joy and happiness that he gave all of us.”
Dealing with the loss was a strenuous experience for the Oscar winner, as she recalled being angry at god at one point for her tragic loss.
Regina King Felt Guilt Over Her Son’s Loss
Reflecting on her grieving process, King recounted feeling guilt at one point over Ian Alexander Jr.’s death, and was also angry at god, “Why would that weight be given to Ian?”, she said. Through tears, She added,
“Sometimes, a lot of guilt comes over me. When a parent loses a child, you still wonder, ‘What could I have done so that wouldn’t have happened?’ I know that I share this grief with everyone, but no one else is Ian’s mom, you know? Only me. So it’s mine. And the sadness will never go away. It will always be with me.”
While she has been out of the film landscape for 2 years now, her upcoming drama Shirley is dedicated to her late son, whose memories King would cherish throughout her life.
Shirley is set to release on 15 March 2024.
