Ian Alexander Jr. was a deejay and a celebrity chef. He's also acted and had a cameo in a movie his mother directed.
Ian Alexander Jr., the son of actor and director Regina King, has died by suicide, King's representative confirmed to CNN.
“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," the actress said in a statement 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.”
Ian Alexander Jr. was a deejay and artist who went by the name Desduné. He was also a celebrity chef, according to Flaunt, and even had a cameo in “One Night in Miami,” which King directed.
He released a single in 2021 titled "Work it Out" and had just released another song on Jan. 7 called "Green Eyes."
Ian was King's only child. His father is King's ex-husband, Ian Alexander Sr., a record producer.
Three days ago, Ian’s last post on Instagram was him announcing that he would be performing at Breaking Sound Los Angeles later this month.
"Its been a minute but now we back at the jump of,” he wrote. “Don’t you want to say you supported desduné before the blowup??”
King and her son shared a close bond. He was by her side on many red carpets, they had matching tattoos that said "unconditional love" in Aramaic, and he was open about how much he admired her.
“Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry, and gangsta,” he said on her birthday last year.
“To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for,” he added. “To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable.”
King also had nothing but love and admiration for her son and once told People that her son was her biggest source of pride.
“You don't know what unconditional love is,” she said. “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.”
Alexander Jr. was 26 years old.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
