Regina King's Resurfaced Comments About Her Son Are Heartbreaking Now

Academy award-winning actor Regina King suffered a devastating loss after the death of her only son, Ian Alexander Jr. King's 26-year-old son died by suicide January 19 to the shock of his family and friends. "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," King statement to People read. "He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others."

Alongside her successful acting career, King considered being Alexander's mom as one of her greatest accomplishments. "I get emotional because my son is an amazing young man," King said in 2011, per CNN. "You don't know what unconditional love is. You may say you do, but if you don't have a child, you don't know what that is. But when you experience it, it is the most fulfilling ever. So, that is the greatest part about me."

As King often gushed over her close relationship with her son, fans are finding her past statements about Alexander to be especially devastating in the wake of his tragic death.

Regina King always had the support of her son, Ian Alexander Jr. Now, King's comments from a 2018 interview with People have resurfaced amid her family's devastating loss, proving that Alexander was his mom's biggest cheerleader. At the time of the interview, King discussed the awards buzz for her film "If Beale Street Could Talk," for which she would go on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. King told the magazine that receiving praise for her work was made sweeter by sharing it with her son.

"I got to grow with my son, so now he's old enough to have had witnessed the work put in and the choices that I made — or didn't make — because I'm a mom," King said. "I think it's even more fantastic that he's at the age that he is while this happening with me — to understand all that goes into honing your craft, what goes into being diligent when it comes to what you love."

King's hard work did not go unnoticed by her boy. "To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something I will forever be grateful for," Alexander wrote in a message to his mother on Instagram in 2021, adding, "But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Since Ian Alexander Jr.'s death, many of Regina King's comments about her son take on a new, devastating meaning.

In 2019, King revealed on the Golden Globes red carpet that she almost didn't take on her role in the Netflix series "Seven Seconds" because her character losing her son in a tragic way was her greatest fear. "This young man... this makes me happier than anything in the whole world," King said, pointing to her date that evening, her son Alexander. "To know that I was going to have to be in a space of a mother losing her child for six months, it was terrifying." King further explained she initially thought she hesitated to play just another mother character, but found that the subject matter was what she feared most. "As we were working on the show," she explained, "I realized it just was my own fear of being in a place that I don't ever want to be in life."

King of course won the Emmy for "Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series" in 2019 for her role in "Seven Seconds." The actor gave a shout out to her son with an inside joke during her acceptance speech for getting her through the challenging role. "Ian, if you are at home, 'No caps,'" she said with a smile. "What? I probably said it wrong — 'No cap,' that's what it's supposed to be."

Moments Regina King and her son Ian Alexander Jr. shared together have now become precious memories. Regina King and her son raised a glass together weeks before his death by suicide in celebration of 2022. The family members sat alongside each other during their virtual appearance on "New Years Eve Live" for CNN. "Here we are with — Okay, this is my son [and] my bonus son — 20 years we're all together, this whole family of people, are together because of these two and their lives together that brought us together," King said, per Us Weekly. "And we kinda drink in the spirit of inclusivity, too," King added, before Alexander interjected," And progress!" The mother and son then toasted to the New Year.

Alexander died just a few days after his 26th birthday in January. Actor and longtime friend of King's Vivica A. Fox revealed on "Cocktails With Queens" the mother is doing "okay" in the aftermath of her son's tragic passing. "She is so strong," Fox said. "She said to tell everybody that she's gotten y'all texts. The outpouring of love for her, her family, and her son — she appreciates it."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.