“I know you’ve been through a lot the last year,” a choked up Kimmel told King, whose son passed away in January 2022.
Jimmy Kimmel got choked up while speaking to Regina King in their first interview since her son Ian Alexander Jr. died by suicide two years ago.
During Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, King — who has been promoting her new film, Shirley, — shared an emotional moment with Kimmel shortly after they greeted one another.
“It’s very good to see you. How are you doing right now?” Kimmel asked the Oscar winner, who replied with a smile, “Right now, I’m good.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. I know you’ve been through a lot the last year,” Kimmel continued, getting choked up.
He didn’t mention King’s son’s name directly or mention his death, but it was clear what he was referring to.
In response to Kimmel’s reaction, King then calmly reached out and grabbed the late-night host’s hand to comfort him.
“It’s good to see you, Jimmy,” she said, to which he replied, holding back tears. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Kimmel — who was still emotional — attempted to lighten the mood with a joke.
“Umm, did you see William Shatner backstage?” Kimmel asked, to which King and the audience responded with laughter.
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King’s son wasn’t mentioned during the interview.
Ian Jr. — King’s only child she shared with her ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr. — passed away on Jan. 20, 2022, a day after his 26th birthday.
After largely staying out of the spotlight these past two years, while working through her grief, King is now promoting the film she was working on when she had to share the tragic loss of her son.
Shirley tells the true story of Shirley Chisolm, a Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 who ran for the Democratic nomination for president just four years later, making her the first woman and Black candidate to do so. King was just a month into filming when she lost Ian Jr.
King opened up about her son’s tragic passing for the first time earlier this month, giving her first television interview since Ian Jr’s death in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts.
“I’m a different person now than I was January 19. I am,” she said.
“I understand that grief is love that has no place to go. I know that it’s important to me to honor Ian and the totality of who he is.”@ReginaKing speaks out to @robinroberts for the first time about her son’s death over two years ago. https://t.co/yIiTGItzCY pic.twitter.com/D2fXGdcauc
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 14, 2024
@GMA
“Grief is a journey, you know. I understand that grief is love that has no place to go,” she added. “I know that 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 and the joy and happiness that he gave all of us.”
While speaking with Harper’s BAZARR for its latest cover story, King said she’s taking everything “minute by minute.”
“When I look at all of the work and everything that we and Ian put into trying to move through the depression … I mean, he’s pure joy and pure light,” she said of her son. “But he was struggling so much.”
She said that her son “never presented” his internal struggle, though. “That’s why I know that a smile doesn’t always mean happy,” she said. “He would never not let whoever he was with feel like they were the most special person in the world.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.