*Regina King has transformed her profound loss into a creative tribute, launching MianU, an orange wine that celebrates the spirit of her son, Ian Desduné, who died by suicide in January 2022 at age 26.
In a heartfelt conversation with Haute Living Los Angeles, the actress reflected on how her son’s passing reshaped her perspective. “Now, I understand that sadness and happiness can be happening at the same time,” King told the outlet. “I one thousand percent live in the moment more. I don’t know if that’s something that just comes with time, or with pain, or with the pandemic — probably all of it. But I feel it.”
The wine, named MianU, serves as a vessel for King to keep her son’s memory alive. “His art, his creativity — it’s all in there. It was kind of an epiphany I had that came from a place of continuing to create memories in Ian’s spirit,” she said.
“I’m thinking of him 24/7 anyway, but always in this moment, I can see his face,” King continued. “And for people who never got the chance to dance with Ian, maybe they’ll be curious. Maybe they’ll ask. His name is right there, in the middle of it all. He’ll never be forgotten. If you see me, you see Ian.”
King, who shared Ian with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr., has been candid about the challenges of grief. In a March 2024 interview with Good Morning America, she addressed her son’s struggles with depression. “When it comes to depression, people expect it to look a certain way and they expect it to look heavy,” she said.
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“To have to experience this and not be able to have the time to just sit with Ian’s choice, which I respect and understand, that he didn’t want to be here anymore. That’s a hard thing for other people to receive because they did not live our experience, did not live Ian’s journey” King explained.
Reflecting on her initial anger, King recalled questioning, “Why would that weight be given to Ian? Of all of the things that we had gone through with the therapy, with psychiatrists and programs — and Ian was like, ‘I’m tired of talking, Mom.’”
Despite the pain, she finds purpose in honoring her son’s full legacy. “Grief is a journey. I understand that grief is love that has no place to go,” she said.
“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.”
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MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Regina King Gives First TV Interview Since Beloved Son’s Suicide: ‘He Didn’t Want to be Here Anymore’ | WATCH
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