A loss like no other

Actress Regina King has been left devastated by the suicide of her son Ian just days after his 26th birthday

- By Kim Abrahams, Photography by Gallo Images; Getty Images

HE SMILES as he sits alongside his famous mom and a friend, raising his glass in a toast to ring in the new year.

“To inclusivity and progress,” Ian Alexander Jr and his mom Regina King agree as the trio clink glasses in a video clip on CNN’s New Year’s Eve TV show. Ian is the son of Regina, one of Hollywood’s most successful stars and an actress who has helped shatter the glass ceiling for people of colour in the movie industry.

She smiles broadly in the video, looking forward to a new year filled with possibility and opportunity. But just three weeks later, her world fell apart. Ian, her only child, died by suicide three days after his 26th birthday.

Actress Regina Kind often talked about her son Ian Alexander Jr being her biggest source of pride.

“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” a statement from Regina read. “He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others.”

Neither Regina nor her son spoke publicly about his mental health, but a few days before his death Ian alluded to the fact that he might be struggling.

“I don’t think Instagram is good for me,” he tweeted.

The mom and son were very close and got matching tattoos before Ian went to college.