Regina King shared an abundant amount of unforgettable moments with her son before he died on Friday at the age of 26. A few weeks before he died, Ian Alexander Jr. joined his mother in a virtual appearance on CNN's New Year's Eve Live with hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.
King introduced her son to viewers, saying, “we drink in the spirit of inclusivity” and progress. The actress also introduced a man she described as her "bonus son," along with Alexander Jr.
"Twenty years, we're all together, this whole family of people are together because of these two and their lives together that brought us together. And we drink in the spirit of inclusivity too," King said.
The mother and son also symbolized their love for each other with matching tattoos, as Blavity previously reported.
"We were taking Kabbalah classes," King told 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."
The 26-year-old paid tribute to his mother on her 50th birthday in 2021.
"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," he wrote on Instagram.
Alexander Jr. also described his mother as "the greatest gift" he 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," he wrote. "The whole marvel universe ain't got s**t on you, you're the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!"
When the duo attended the Golden Globes in 2019, Alexander Jr. described his mother as "supermom."
"She doesn't really let bad work days 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," he told E! News.
The beloved son died by suicide a few days after celebrating his 26th birthday. King shared her son, who was her only child, with her ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr. The actress said it was challenging to be a single parent after her divorce, but she still aimed to give unconditional love to 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," King said in a previous interview, according to PBS. "When you experience it, it's the most fulfilling [thing] ever."
