Regina King’s son has died by suicide. Regina, 51, confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that Ian Alexander Jr, 26 – her son with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr – had taken his own life.
She wrote: “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.”
Ian Jr had followed his music executive father into the business by becoming a DJ and Regina previously revealed her only child had taught her about “unconditional love”.
She said: “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. When you experience it, it’s the most fulfilling [thing] ever.”