Actress Regina King bids farewell to 2024 with a touching tribute to his late son.
The Oscar-winning actress and notable star of Netflix’s “The Harder They Fall” compiled a special Instagram post on Christmas Day to honor Ian Alexander, Jr., a recording artist and King’s only child.
Alexander sadly committed suicide in January 2022.
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Regina King’s ‘perfect’ tribute to her son
Drawing on Alexander’s career as a musical artist, King then shared seven of his favorite albums from the past year on the social media app.
In a caption on her Instagram post, the “Shirley” star explained that the album count had special meaning to her and her late son.
“As we close out the year, I wanted to share my seven favorite albums of 2024,” King wrote.
“Why 7?” » she continued. “Because seven is Ian’s favorite number and number of completions – a perfect way to reflect on the highlights of the past year. »
Some of his picks included Kendrick Lamar’s recent “GNX,” Tyler the Creator’s “Chromakopia,” Willow Smith’s “Empathogen” and the soundtrack to the biblical comedy “The Book of Clarence.”
King closed his message with warm holiday greetings.
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“I wish you and your families the faith to believe, the energy to create, and the love to sustain a peaceful and joyful holiday season. May this faith, love and joy continue into the new year and beyond.”
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The Tragic Loss of Regina King’s Son, Ian Alexander, Jr. and Its Aftermath
On January 21, 2022, the entertainment world was rocked by the sudden death of King’s son, Ian Alexander, Jr., at just 26 years old.
Writers for I love B.Scottan entertainment blog, was the first to announce the sad news with an article that many felt was insensitiveespecially since King herself had not spoken out on the subject.
A backlash ensued and the post was eventually deleted.
A day later, King would publish a statement via his representative confirming the tragic news.
“Our family is deeply devastated by the loss of Ian,” it read.
“She was such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time.
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In addition to being a recording artist, Alexander was also a disc jockey. He often performs under the stage name Desduné.
Less than two weeks before his death, he released his final single, “Green Eyes.”
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King returns to acting after losing her son
After his loss, King would take a two-year hiatus from the acting world.
She will slowly return to the spotlight in early 2024 with “Shirley,” a Netflix production based on the life of the first black female vice-presidential candidate, Shirley Chisholm.
In a “Good Morning America” interview that aired in March, King spoke about losing Alexander and how it affected her moving forward.
“I’m a different person now than I was on January 19,” she told Robin Roberts, referring to the actual date of Ian’s death.
“I understand that grief is a love that has nowhere to go. I know it is important for me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is, to speak of him in the present tense because he is always with me. The joy and happiness that he gave us all.
Although time would allow him to process Ian’s choice, King admitted it wasn’t so easy.
“I respect and understand that he didn’t want to be here anymore,” the actress shared, “and that’s a hard thing for other people to accept because they haven’t had our experience, [or] experience Ian’s journey. I was so angry with God. Why would this weight be attributed to Ian? »
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A heartfelt moment between King and Jimmy Kimmel made everyone cry
A week after her GMA, King visited “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to promote “Shirley.”
The talk show host, known for his wit and sarcasm, instead greeted the actress with grace by asking how she was feeling at that moment.
With a sincere smile, she replied, “For now, I’m fine. »
Kimmel then tried to acknowledge King’s rough year, but choked up along the way. This would lead the actress to reach out to him.
“It’s good to see you, Jimmy,” she continued.
After a while, he replied, “It’s good to see you too.”
King remains ‘proud’ to be ‘Ian’s mother’
When speaking with Roberts, King said she was tired of focusing on Ian’s passing and instead wanted to celebrate the time she had with him.
“My favorite thing about myself is being Ian’s mother,” she noted, continuing, “I know it’s important to me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is , to talk about him in the present because he is always with me The joy and happiness he gave us all.
