Regina King made her return to the red carpet for the first time since the heartbreaking loss of her son Ian Alexander Jr., and the actress was surrounded by so much love.
King lost her only son to suicide earlier this year and has been away from the spotlight, grieving privately. However, her recent return was celebrated by fans who had been concerned about her wellbeing.
Regina King Makes First Red Carpet Appearance In A While
On Sunday, the “Watchmen” actress was seen in Italy at the Filming Italy Festival’s awards ceremony, held in the Sicilian village of Santa Margherita di Pula.
King was honored with the Women in Power prize at the festival alongside her friend Naomie Harris. For the event, King, who has a penchant for taking breaths on the red carpet, didn’t disappoint.
“The Boondocks” star looked ravishing in a white two-piece ensemble featuring a sleeveless top with a slight crop tied into a knot by the side and a flowing skirt with a thigh-high slit that flaunted her toned legs.
King paired the gorgeous, angelic outfit with nude heels featuring silver straps wrapped around her ankle and carried a cute Louis Vuitton bag to spice up the look.
She kept her jewelry accessories to a minimum, rocking a pair of giant silver hoops, a bracelet, and some rings. Her colored braids were styled into a high ponytail updo, with the loose strands gracefully framing her face.
Fans were thrilled to see King in public for the first time in a long time and sent their best wishes to the award-winning actress. One fan wrote, “My prayers are still with her. She looks very beautiful as per usual though.”
Another comment read, “It’s nice to see her out and about. Hopefully, she’s hanging in there, all things considered. Obviously, she’s resilient, so she’ll be okay.”
This netizen added, “I’m happy Regina King has taken her time to come back into the spotlight. She seems to have a great support system around her.”
A Rare mother’s Day Appearance
Although King’s presence at the Filming Italy Festival ceremony was her first official appearance since the passing of her son, fans got a glimpse of her on Mother’s Day after a viral photo circulated the internet.
As The Blast reported, during Mother’s Day weekend, fans on Twitter were worried about how she was doing, but their fears were allayed by a post from a relative.
A Twitter user with the handle @LawrenceCainJr, who claimed to be King’s cousin, shared a Facetime photo screenshot during a call with the actress.
The 51-year-old was glowing with a makeup-free look with her braids styled in a loose updo while wearing a stacked gold chain with a smile on her face. The heartwarming photo was captioned, “Seeing Cuzo smile made today complete 🙏🏽 continue to pray for the mother’s [sic] who are living without their children.”
Fans who were thrilled to see King in great spirits urged that her cousin should pass on their love and prayers. Days before Mother’s Day celebration, King was set to make an appearance at the 2022 Met Gala.
The California native, alongside Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, was appointed as co-chair of the prestigious fashion event.
However, fans didn’t get to see King walk the Met Gala red carpet. It remains unsure if she attended the star-studded ceremony but netizens sent her all their love.
King Lost Her Only Son To Suicide
King broke the unfortunate news of her son’s passing in January via a statement that read, “Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you.”
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Ian Jr. was King’s only son from her marriage to ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr. during their nine-year marriage, which ended in 2007.
Late Ian Jr. and his mother shared a tight bond, often evident by their numerous red carpet moments together. He passed away days before his 26th birthday and was following in his father’s footsteps as a deejay and record producer.
May his soul continue to rest in peace.
