Did Instagram affect Ian Alexander's mental health? Regina King's son dies by suicide
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Mental Health
Actress and director Regina King's son Ian Alexander Jr tragically died by suicide on Wednesday, January 19, on the very occasion of his 26h birthday. Alexander Jr was King's only child whom she shared with her ex-husband and recording artist Ian Alexander Sr. He was a DJ by profession, following in the footsteps of his father's musical journey, and performed under the name desduné. He was also a noted chef who aspired to start his own restaurant.
In a statement, Regina King said, "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. 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." Following his tragic demise, Ian Alexander Jr's social media activity and signs of concern have been pointed out by many heartbroken fans. For instance, in one of his haunting last tweets, he admitted "You know that episode of SpongeBob where they go inside his brain and it’s a bunch of mini spongebobs just losing their s**t…..yea that one really hits home." He posted this barely five days before he took his own life.
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In another of his recent tweets, Alexander also wrote, "I don’t think Instagram is healthy for me." However, he also expressed excitement about his upcoming show where he predicted, "Its been a minute but now we back at the jump off. Don’t you want to say you supported desduné before the blowup??"
Alexander was very close to his mother and the mom-son duo even have matching tattoos that read "unconditional love" in Aramaic. Ian's is his on his shoulder and Regina has hers on her arm. He had also been spotted at several red carpet events accompanying his mother, including in 2019 when he called her a "super mom" while they attended the Golden Globes. "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad workdays 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 had said. At that time, Regina King also said that Ian made her "happier than anything in the whole world".
To honor his mother's 50th birthday in 2021, Ian took to Instagram, saying, "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. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I 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. The whole marvel universe ain't got shit on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!".