Heartbreaking Final Messages of Regina Kings Son Ian before He Took His Life at 26

Posted by Arica Deslauriers on Sunday, May 19, 2024

Regina King's son tragically died two days after his 26th birthday on Jan. 21, 2022. The actress is devastated by the loss of her "bright light," Ian Alexander Jr., who left heartbreaking final messages on social media.

American actress Regina King has been one of Hollywood's most acclaimed actresses for a long time now. She has won numerous accolades and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2019

Despite having a demanding career and being occupied with all the activities that come with being famous, King was a doting mother to her son Ian Alexander Jr. However; sadly, things took a tragic turn for the actress after her son took his own life.

Picture of actress of Regina King [left]. Regina King and son Ian Alexander Jr. during "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous" Los Angeles Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California [right] | Photo: Getty Images

HEARTBREAKING LOSS

King and her entire family were left in absolute disarray following the death of her son Ian Alexander. The veteran Hollywood actress who kicked off the new year with her son is now grieving as the year took a sad turn.

A family representative confirmed that Alexander died by suicide. After the tragic event was announced, King expressed sadness in a statement that 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. Thank you."

Regina King at the amfAR Cannes Gala 2021 during the 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cap d'Antibes, France on July 16, 2021 | Photo: Getty Images

The "Watchmen" actress and her son had a close bond. In an interview with USA TODAY in 2018, she revealed that they both had matching tattoos on their forearms that read "unconditional love" in Aramaic. She also once said:

"That mama bear thing where I'll do anything for my child, I'm one of those moms, I'll give my right arm – and that's my writing arm – for my child's safety[...]."

HIS MOTHER'S PRIDE

King's son was a rising DJ and singer-songwriter who performed under the name Desduné, and before his death, the 26-year-old seemed to be looking to his future.

A few days before his passing, Alexander asked his fans on Instagram to "pull up" to his performance at the Bardot scheduled for January 28.

The young artist, who had a history of smoking, released a new single and promised to quit smoking as he promoted the song on his Instagram account. However, Alexander noted that he would quit his habit only if the new single got a million streams.

Alexander notably had a lot of projects he was working on before the January 19 incident. Apart from his interest in music, the late young man was a celebrity chef. He revealed he planned to open his restaurant in a few years in an interview.

Over the years, King has been a great supporter of her son's goals. She also promoted Alexander's new single "Green Eyes" on her Instagram page and urged fans to listen to the track. However, while his death came as a shock, Alexander may have given any indication that he wasn't doing well.

HEARTBREAKING LAST MESSAGES

As King and her family mourned their loss and sought to find out why he took his own life, they discovered some disturbing messages on Alexander's Twitter account. The 26-year-old DJ and chef had shared a tweet that gave an insight into how he had been feeling:

"You know that episode of SpongeBob where they go inside his brain and it's a bunch of spongebobs just losing their [expletive]…..yea that one really hits home."

He had also recently tweeted about his relationship with social media. The late DJ noted that Instagram wasn't healthy for him in the tweet.

The post, which his followers widely acknowledged, received more notice when he died. Many fans responded to the tweet with heartfelt messages and condolences to King.

Screenshot of Regina King's son, Ian Alexander Jr. final tweets | Photo: twitter.com/desdunemjv

KING LOST A SON BEFORE THIS

King has a great love and admiration for her son that started reflecting on her career. Once speaking in an interview, the actress reflected on emotional moments during the filming of Netflix's "Seven Seconds."

King, who portrayed a grieving mother in the 2019 series, said her son gave her joy more than anything in the world, and assuming the role of a woman who lost her son for six months was "terrifying."

Screenshot of Regina King's son, Ian Alexander Jr. final tweets | Photo: twitter.com/desdunemjv

The actress has opened up about how she enjoys being Alexander's mother on several occasions. She once described the DJ as an amazing man as she spoke about her unconditional love for her son, and according to King, only a mother knows the true meaning of love.

King is one of Hollywood's stars who did not let the pressure of being a movie star get in her role as a mother. In an interview to discuss her career, beliefs, and motherhood, the actress described being a mother as the most fulfilling experience.

Meanwhile, Alexander had also confirmed that King was a great mother and his inspiration. Celebrating her 50th birthday, the DJ posted a heartwarming note on social media that described King as a doting mother whose support and love was "truly remarkable."

King and her son can be described as best friends. Apart from her support for his career and countless social media posts praising her son, Alexander was his mother's date at many events, further proving their strong bond.

CELEBS SHARE PRAYERS

Following Alexander's suicide, fans and celebrities sent his devastated mother love and support. His death shocked many, including Halle Berry, Janet Jackson, Kid Cudi, and Josh Gad, who expressed sadness after hearing the tragic news.

Many shared photos of the mother and son on social media, while some paid tribute to the late DJ with heartbreaking condolences. Some also sent prayers to King and her family, and the support keeps coming up on social media.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

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