Warning: Discussion of suicide.
Back in 2022, Regina King tragically lost her one and only child, Ian Alexander Jr., to suicide.
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Ian, whom she shared with her ex-husband Ian Alexander, was 26.
At the time, Regina described herself as “devastated at the deepest level,” and though that pain still lingers, she has found ways to channel her grief into spreading joy in his memory.
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She previously told Robin Roberts, “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 — the joy and happiness that he gave all of us.”
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More recently, she released a wine line called MianU (pronounced “me and you”) that also honors Ian. It celebrates “his depth, joy, and innate ability to elevate life’s simplest moments” — and on Friday, Regina joined Scott Evans on House Guest to talk about it.
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“MianU is the wine that I am launching…to celebrate Ian,” Regina said as her voice immediately started trembling. “It is all things Ian, all things that he loves, all things that he represents, which is connection, art, and just good energy.”
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She explained that the inspiration came while trying to figure out how to “navigate this new relationship” with her son. She said, “They say that the only way a person leaves this place is if they’re forgotten, and I never want Ian to be forgotten.” So she had to figure out “how can we always continue to be saying his name and saying it in the joyous space that, for Ian, if it’s a moment, we gon’ make it special and make the most out of it…and the idea is celebrating connection, and usually with a bottle of wine is when you have those great conversations, when you go a little bit deeper, and so it just seemed perfect.”
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As they continued talking, Scott made sure to speak about Ian in the present tense, leading to a beautiful moment of appreciation between them. “I appreciate you for — I always speak of Ian in the present,” Regina said, smiling, as Scott praised Ian’s “light” and great energy, “even now.” “So I appreciate you doing that as well.”
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Scott was left speechless, appearing visibly emotional while trying to collect himself. “I’m just gonna pour this,” he said eventually, “because I love you.” Regina replied, “And I love you.”
The clip had viewers just as emotional. In a Reddit comment, one person said, “This is touching — especially how she keeps his name in the present tense, keeping him alive through mentioning him, and in a joyous way. Obviously, losing a child — especially your only child — comes with so much pain, but she’s choosing joy and remembering him that way.” Another was touched by “the way she speaks about him in present tense,” adding, “I had to stop the video because I’m really trying to not cry today.”
A third added, “The way his voice hitched toward the end and he kept it together. There was a knowing between the two of them – a brief moment of the pain. Trying to remember and celebrate someone’s life even though they are gone has to be a constant struggle.” Someone else said, “This is so sweet. The name is so cute too!”
More reactions poured out on X, which you can find below.
@yagirlkinah / House Guest / Out / Via Twitter: @yagirlkinah
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@MissSassbox / House Guest / Via Twitter: @MissSassbox
@GaryLGray / House Guest / Via Twitter: @GaryLGray
Watch the full House Guest interview here.
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