Ian Alexander Jr., son of acclaimed actress Regina King, died at the age of 26 on Friday (Jan. 21). The news was first reported by LoveBScott. Alexander died by suicide according to the report. He had just celebrated his birthday on Wednesday (Jan. 19).
King provided a statement to PEOPLE regarding the loss of her son.
“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” read the statement. “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.”
Alexander was King’s only child from her marriage to record producer Ian Alexander Sr. The two divorced in 2007 after 10 years of marriage.
The actress and her son shared a close relationship. They shared matching tattoos that read “unconditional love” in Aramaic, King revealed as a guest on The View in 2017. The Academy Award-winning actress frequently brought her son along with her to red carpet events.
On her 50th birthday, Alexander wrote on Instagram, “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.”
The 26-year-old performed as a musician and DJ under the stage name Desduné. On Jan. 7, he released a new single, “Green Eyes,” and had performances scheduled at Breaking Sound Los Angeles during the end of the month.
“I get emotional because my son is an amazing young man,” expressed King during a 2011 interview on CNN Red Chair Interview. “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. But when you experience it, it is the most fulfilling ever. So, that is the greatest part about me. Being a mom to Ian.”