Regina King has addressed her son Ian’s tragic passing.
In an interview with Good Morning America, the 53-year-old star shared her long journey from grief.
Ian passed away by suicide at 26 on January 2022–only two days after his birthday.
According to The New York Post, host Robin Roberts asked King about the past two years.
“What have these last two years been like for you?”
“Oh wow. I’m a different person now than I was Jan. 19. I am.”
Regina King added that her upcoming Netflix movie, Shirley, is dedicated to Ian.
“Grief is a journey. I understand that. Grief is love that has no place to go. And that we all handle it differently. I know that it’s important to me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is, speak about him in the present, because he is always with me and the joy and happiness that he gave all of us.”
Regina King Really Opened Up
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“When it comes to depression, people expect it to look a certain way — they expect it to look heavy. To have to experience this and not be able to have the time to just sit with Ian’s choice, which I respect and understand … He didn’t want to be here anymore, and that’s a hard thing for other people to receive because they did not live our experience, did not live Ian’s journey.”
Regina King revealed that, at some point, she was furious with God.
“Why would that weight be given to Ian? Of all of the things that we had gone through — therapy, psychiatrists, programs — and Ian was like, ‘I’m tired of talking, Mom.’”
“Sometimes, a lot of guilt comes over me. When a parent loses a child, you still wonder, ‘What could I have done so that wouldn’t have happened?’ I know that I share this grief with everyone, but no one else is Ian’s mom, you know? Only me. So it’s mine. And the sadness will never go away. It will always be with me.”
When Ian passed away, Regina King released a statement:
“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.”
She made her first public appearance after the tragedy in June 2022.
King revealed last year that she was still dealing with the incident.
“January 19th is Ian’s Worthday. As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence.”
