Warning: Mention of suicide.
Regina King shared quite the emotional moment of reflection with former first lady Michelle Obama, and it’s helping people reconcile with their own grief.
Regina and her sister Reina King appeared on a Jan. 21 episode of Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson’s IMO podcast for a “funny, heartfelt conversation about what it means to grow up together—and stay connected through every season of life.”
During the episode, the Academy Award-winning actor revealed a touching memory of her late son’s friendship with former president Barack Obama and Michelle’s daughters, Malia and Sasha.
If you didn’t know, Regina’s son, Ian Alexander Jr., died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 26.
“I wanna say [thank you] publicly to Malia and Sasha, for being great friends of Ian’s,” Regina said, tearfully.
Surpisingly, Regina admitted that she and Michelle initially weren’t aware of the bond between her son and the daughters of the 44th president. “We didn’t even know,” she said. “Ian’s cooking dinner, and he’s just telling me he’s cooking dinner for some girl named Sasha. So, I’m just thinking it’s some girl named Sasha that his friend was dating.”
According to Michelle, Ian was “one of the first friends Malia and Sasha made when they moved to L.A.,” adding that the Golden Globe winner “raised him to be such a kind, thoughtful, and grounded young man.”
In the episode, Regina shared a glass of Syrah, one of the two MianU (pronounced “me and you”) wines crafted and designed in honor of her son’s legacy. It was a project she was inspired to pursue after her son introduced to orange wine. “It’s beautiful to be sharing a bottle of Ian’s wine with you all and my sister,” she said.
The four-time Emmy winner expressed her gratitude to Malia and Sasha for their understanding of Ian’s personality and character, sharing how the wine and tribute to Ian came about. “You hear people talk about what their kids are doing, and you know, Ian and I, our memories kind of stopped for a bit,” she continued. “And so [I’m] trying to find ways to create new memories with Ian.”
“Ian would introduce me to so many things. And one thing, Malia and Sasha will tell you this, when Ian discovers something, he wants to share it, and he wants to tell you all about it… and it kind of came to me that Ian, we’re going to make a wine.”
The moment from the podcast went viral, and the internet really resonated with the openness and sincerity of the conversation.
“Every time Regina King comes on screen, I’m mesmerized by her indomitable strength and ability to keep pushing forward,” one person commented on YouTube. “She is the epitome of grace, empathy, and undeniable grit. My heart goes out to her as she continues to honor her beloved late son with such grace. I love you, Regina! Please never stop inspiring us.”
“I love this idea of continuing to create memories. He is still her son. She is still his mom. They’re still in a relationship…. It just looks different. And her deciding to keep finding ways to cultivate that relationship is beautiful,” an Instagram user wrote.
“I loved this episode with Regina and Reina,” another YouTube user commented. “It was so good to hear their stories. And I absolutely loved the end, hearing about Ian and the connection with Sasha and Malia. Such a small world! Thank yall again! Your show never disappoints.”
Tech/media businessperson Bozoma Saint John, who was among many notable figures moved by the conversation, put it best, describing the reflection as “beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.”
“I honestly love and respect this woman. The strength she has and just the way she talks about Ian. Sending her strength and love,” someone else added. “Came across one of her earlier videos where she’s talking about Ian. I had recently lost my brother. She speaks about him in such a beautiful way. She really helped me on my own journey of grief. Regina, thank you 💜”
This person said, “I love that she’s talking about Ian. One of the hardest things with losing loved ones is our society is so uncomfortable with grief. People shy away from talking about people you’ve lost because they don’t want to upset you or feel uncomfortable or whatever. But really we need to talk about our loved ones and be allowed to become teary eyed or have our voice crack because it’s more painful to have to secret that away. And really it can bring so much joy to be able to share about the person you have lost without shame. I hope Regina keeps sharing and remember her son like this.”
And lastly, as someone whose entire life is surrounded by grief and loss, I personally want to thank Regina for always sharing her story through her artistry, motherhood, and reflections — she’s a class act.