Regina King has spoken publicly for the first time about the pain of losing her only son, Ian Alexander Jr., to suicide in January 2022.
In an interview with Good Morning America on Thursday, March 14, King discussed what life has been like since her 26-year-old son’s death.
“I’m a different person now,” the Watchmen actress shared. “Grief is a journey, you know? I understand that grief is love that has no place to go.”
Related Story: Regina King Pays Tribute to Late Son Ian Alexander Jr., One Year After His Death
The actress was on the morning news show to promote her new Netflix film Shirley.
As she moves forward, King told GMA host Robin Roberts she sometimes feels guilty.
“When a parent loses a child, you still wonder, ‘What could I have done so that wouldn’t have happened?'” she said.
King’s eyes filled with tears at times during the interview
“I know that I share this grief with everyone. But no one else is Ian’s mom, you know? Only me,” she said “And so, it’s mine. And the sadness will never go away. It’ll always be with me. And I think I saw somewhere, the sadness is a reminder of how much he means to me, you know?”
The actress and director said she tries to keep Ian’s memory alive and speaks of him in the present tense.
“I know that it’s important to me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is and speak about him in the present, because he is always with me,” she shared.
Alexander was King’s only child with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr. The two divorced in 2007.
Ian was a musician and deejay, and used the stage name “Desduné.”
King and her son were close, and he frequently accompanied her to red carpet events.
The actress told Roberts her son struggled with depression.
“To have to experience this and not be able to have the time to just sit with Ian’s choice, which I respect and understand, you know, that he didn’t want to be here anymore, that’s a hard thing for other people to receive because they did not live our experience, did not live Ian’s journey,” she said.
King has mostly been out of the spotlight over the past two years, after releasing a statement in January 2022 about her son’s death.
“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” the statement read. “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.”
Watch the interview with Regina King below.
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