Regina King’sson, Ian Alexander Jr., has died by suicide. Ian had turned 26 this Wednesday. He was King’s only child; she shared custody with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr.
“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,“King said in a statement sent to PEOPLE. “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.”
Despite her growing success in Hollywood, King has stated that her son is her biggest source of pride. After separating from her husband of nine years, King admitted being a single parent hasn’t always been easy, but nothing is more vital than her love for her son.
“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,” she explained at the time. “When you experience it, it’s the most fulfilling [thing] ever.”
“Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry, and gangsta! To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something I will forever be grateful for,” Ian posted on Instagram last year in honor of his mother’s 50th birthday.
He continued, “But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain’t got s— on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!
Following in his father’s footsteps, Ian was a musician and a DJ
He performed asDesduné, according to his Instagram page. He had released a new single, “Green Eyes,” on Jan. 7 and had performances scheduled in Los Angeles later this month.
Both mother and son even had matching tattoos, which read “unconditional love” in Aramaic.
“We were taking Kabbalah classes,” King said of the ink on The View in 2017. “He said, let’s choose three [designs] each and not tell each other which ones they are and whichever one is matching, that’s the one we’re going to get tattooed — and we both chose unconditional love.”
“She’s just a super mom,” he told E! News when he accompanied his mother at the 2019 Golden Globes. “She doesn’t really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It’s really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with.”
