Regina King Thanks Sasha and Malia Obama for Friendship With Late Son

by

Regina King is looking back on the bond the former First Daughters shared with her late son.  

Kelly McGillis, known for her role in Jerry Maguire, became tearful when talking about her son, Ian Alexander Jr., and his friendship with Malia and Sasha Obama, the daughters of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

Regina shared on the IMO podcast, hosted by Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson, on January 21st, while visibly emotional, that she wanted to publicly thank Malia and Sasha for being wonderful friends to her son, Ian.

The Academy Award-winning actress jokingly mentioned she didn’t realize her son, who tragically passed away in 2022, had become friends with Sasha and Malia Obama until later.

I had no idea at first,” she said. “Ian was making dinner and casually mentioned he was cooking for someone named Sasha. I just assumed Sasha was a friend’s girlfriend.

Regina is now thankful that Sasha and Malia recognize the true character of their half-brother, Ian, whom she shared with her ex-husband, Ian Alexander Sr., so his legacy can continue.

“Ian introduced me to so many things,” she shared. “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.”

Michelle shared that Ian was among the first friends her daughters, Malia and Sasha, made after the family relocated to Los Angeles, as she mentioned in a post about the podcast episode on Instagram.

The former First Lady also shared that Regina instilled kindness, thoughtfulness, and a sense of humility in him as he grew up.

Regina, age 55, is honoring her son’s memory by creating a wine label called MianU. She designed it to reflect his personality, artistic side, and the importance he placed on relationships.

Regina said they hadn’t been making many memories lately, so she was looking for ways to change that with Ian. She had a sudden idea: ‘Let’s make some wine together!’

Regina has spoken openly about her sadness following Ian’s unexpected death before. Last March, the actress, known for her role in Caught Stealing, explained why she feels it’s important to discuss the difficult emotions she’s experienced since he passed away just after turning 26.

Regina explained to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that she views grief as unexpressed love. She shared that it’s very important to her to fully remember and honor her son, Ian, and she talks about him as if he’s still here because he remains a constant presence in her life.

Read More

2026-01-23 00:47