Regina King Pays Tribute to Late Son on Anniversary of His Death: “Continue to Shine Bright, My Guiding Light”

Regina King is paying tribute to her son a year after his death.

In an Instagram post shared Thursday, King posted a video of a lit lantern flying in the sky on what would’ve been her late son, Ian Alexander Jr.’s 27th birthday.

“January 19th is Ian’s Worthday. As we still process his physical absence, we celebrate his presence,” King wrote. “We are all in different places on the planet…so is Ian. His spirit is the thread that connects us.”

She then acknowledged how orange was Alexander’s favorite color, the same hue her lit lantern was: “Of course orange is your favorite color…Its the fire and the calm. I see you in everything I breath.”

She finished her message with, “My absolute favorite thing about myself is being ….Regina the mother of Ian the GodKing. Continue to shine bright, my guiding light.”

The post marked King’s first on her Instagram handle since Alexander passed away last Jan. 20. The two seemingly had a close relationship with King confirming in a 2015 interview with Vulture that they got matching tattoos of “unconditional love” in Aramic before she took him to college. “We considered different ones, but we felt this really embodies how we feel about each other,” she told Vulture.

Last January, King confirmed that her son died at the age of 26. A cause of death was not announced, but according to People, Alexander died by suicide.

“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” King said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others.”

King shared Alexander with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr.