Warning: Discussion of suicide.
Regina King and Jimmy Kimmel shared an emotional moment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday.
Regina, 53, is a legendary Academy-Award-winning actor with a career that spans nearly four decades across television and film, from the '80s TV sitcom 227 to critically acclaimed films Ray and If Beale Street Could Talk, the latter of which earned her the Oscar.
Regina joined the late-night show to promote her new Netflix biopic Shirley, which is about the first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, in one of her first interviews since the death of her son Ian Alexander Jr.
"Grief is a journey, you know?" Regina said to Robin. "I understand that grief is love that has no place to go."
"When it comes to depression, people expect it to look a certain way, and they expect it to look heavy," she added.
Through tears, Regina explained how it felt to witness Ian's struggles and live with his decision and how it's hard for people to relate to because they did not live her or her son's experience. "I was so angry with God. You know, why would that weight be given to Ian?" she said. "With 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.'"
"I know that I share this grief with everyone," Regina continued. "But no one else is Ian's mom, you know? Only me. And so it's mine. And the sadness will never go away. It'll always be with me. And I think I saw somewhere, the sadness is a reminder of how much he means to me, you know?"
The four-time Emmy winner's next stop was Jimmy Kimmel Live! — the brief but tender moment shared between the late-night host and Regina, who've shared many interviews over the years, gained a lot of attention from fans.
This emotional moment truly resonated with audiences and fans of Regina and Jimmy. Here's what they're saying:
Watch Regina's interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! here:
