Regina King pays tribute to late son on anniversary of his death
Regina King has paid tribute to son, Ian Alexander Jr. and called him her "guiding light" in an emotional message shared on the one-year anniversary of his death.
The Seven Seconds actress was left devasted by his passing on 19 January, 2022, and opened up about the grieving process in her first social media post since he tragically died.
Alongside video of a paper lantern taking to the skies, she wrote: "January 19th is Ian’s Worthday. As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence.
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"We are all in different places on the planet…so is Ian. His spirit is the thread that connects us. Of course orange is your favorite color…Its the fire and the calm. I see you in everything I breathe. My absolute favorite thing about myself is being ….Regina the mother of Ian the GodKing. Continue to shine bright,my guiding light."
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Ian died by suicide at the age of 26 and at the time, Regina released a statement which read: "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."
Regina called her son her "guiding light"
Ian was her only child and she shared him with her ex-husband, record producer, Ian Alexander Sr.He had been following in his father's musical footsteps and was a deejay.
While being a single parent was tough for Regina, she said Ian was her pride and joy and her proudest achievement.
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The mother-son duo had matching tattoos, which read "unconditional love" in Aramaic.
Regina and her late son were very close
They were incredibly close and Ian adored his famous mother. They often made red carpet appearances together and at the 2019 Golden Globes he gushed to E! News, telling the outlet.
"She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad work days or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text STRENGTH to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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