Regina King recently honored her late son, Ian Alexander Jr., and she commemorated the occasion on social media.
Regina King Honors The Memory Of Ian Alexander Jr.: ‘My Guiding Light’
On Thursday, the Southland actress uploaded a video of a sky lantern being sent out into the sunset, and she noted that the occasion is for “Ian’s Worthday.”
According to Urban Dictionary, a “worthday” is defined as “an alternative to the traditionally-celebrated birthday where the basis of celebration is instead derived from the anniversary of one’s greatest lifetime achievement.” However, the occasion also marked what would have been his 27th birthday.
In her post, Regina noted, “As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence.”
“January 19th is Ian’s Worthday. As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence. We are all in different places on the planet…so is Ian. His spirit is the thread that connects us. Of course orange is your favorite color…Its the fire and the calm.”
After saying that she sees Ian “in everything [she breathes],” Regina warmly stated, “My absolute favorite thing about myself is being ….Regina the mother of Ian the GodKing.” She also implored her son’s spirit to “continue to shine bright” before calling him her “guiding light.”
Additionally, it’s worth adding that this sentiment was also reflected in the matching tattoos which Regina and Ian had. According to People, the tatts read “unconditional love” in Aramaic. Ian’s tattoo was located on his shoulder, while Regina dons hers on her arm.
Ian Alexander Jr. Died By Suicide Just After His 26th Birthday
While January 19 marks the day that Ian Alexander Jr. came into this world, the anniversary of his passing falls right afterwards.
Back on Jan. 21, 2022, news broke that the newly-turned 26-year-old had died by suicide, as The Shade Room previously reported.
Various celebrities expressed their condolences on social media in response to the tragedy, including Loni Love, Garcelle Beauvais, and Jackée Harry.
I met Ian at @sherrieshepherd’s birthday bash.. he catered the event. Cooked and served all the food and it was delicious!!!! Such a sweet and talented young man… Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/XcE9vPZkDq
— loni love (@LoniLove) January 22, 2022
My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind https://t.co/nwRaPvmla3
— Garcelle Beauvais (@GarcelleB) January 22, 2022
Nothing but prayers tonight 🙏🏾
— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) January 22, 2022
At the time, Jackée issued further commentary to People and said she was focused on trying to “surround [Regina] with an abundance of love.”
“Like everyone, I am completely stunned and overwhelmed with sadness. The only peace I can find in this is knowing that Regina has a strong group of family and friends propping her up. That’s what we can do for her – surround her with an abundance of love.”
We send our love and prayers to Regina King, Ian Alexander Sr., and everyone else who was affected by the loss.
