[ad_1]
Regina King appeared on “Good Morning America” on Thursday to give her first television interview since the death of her son, Ian Alexander Jr., in January 2022.
Speaking to Robin Roberts, the Oscar-winning actor said he is now “a different person” after his death two years ago.
“Grief is a journey, you know? I understand that pain is a love that has nowhere to go,” she said. “I know it’s important for me to honor Ian in the totality of who he is, to talk about him in the present, because he is always with me and with the joy and happiness that he gave us all.”
Alexander Jr., musician and DJ, committed suicide in January 2022 at the age of 26. He was King’s only son.
“When it comes to depression, people expect you to look a certain way: They expect you to look heavy,” King said. “Having to experience this and not being able to have the time to just sit with Ian’s choice, which I respect and understand… He didn’t want to be here anymore, and that’s a hard thing for other people to accept because they did.” . “I didn’t live our experience, I didn’t live Ian’s journey.”
Through tears, King continued to talk about her grieving process, saying that initially “I was very angry at God.”
“Why would Ian be given that weight? Of all the things we had been through — therapy, psychiatrists, programs — and Ian was like, ‘I’m tired of talking, Mom,’” she said, adding, “Sometimes, I get a lot of guilt. When a parent loses a child, you still wonder, ‘What could I have done to prevent that from happening?’ I know I share this pain with everyone, but no one else is Ian’s mom, you know? Just me. Then it’s mine. And the sadness will never go away. He will always be with me.”