Regina King has confirmed the death of her 26-year-old son, Ian Alexander Jr.
“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” she said in a statement to People. “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.”
According to People, King’s only child died by suicide. He turned 26 on January 19, two days before his death.
King shared her son with record producer Ian Alexander Sr., her former husband. The younger Alexander was a DJ who performed under the name desduné. Last week, King promoted her son’s track “Green Eyes” to her followers on Instagram, posting a short clip and linking to the song in her bio. He was also a celebrity chef who told Flaunt Magazine in May 2021 that he hoped to develop his private dinner parties into a restaurant.
In 2017, King shared that she and her son had matching tattoos that said “unconditional love” in Aramaic. For his mom’s 50th birthday last year, he posted a long tribute on Instagram.
“Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry, and gangsta!” he wrote. “To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable.”
