Regina King talks about her grief after son’s death

we're going to turn now to our GMA

coverage story I had the privilege of

sitting down with actress Regina King

who stars in the powerful new movie

Shirley about Shirley chism's historic

run for president Regina's return to the

screen and to the public comes two years

after the sudden death of her beloved

Son Ian this is her first TV interview

since that tragedy we talked about her

son's Legacy how she's been healing and

what she calls her favorite thing being

Ian's mom

for nearly 40 years she's reigned as one

of Hollywood's most versatile talents

that plane does not take off unless

we're both on it got it from her

breakout role in the 80s sitcom 227 to

her Oscar winning performance in if

beill Street could talk do you think I

came here to make you suffer Regina King

is known for humanizing complex

characters if I can't get the nomination

I can still get delegates including her

latest role starring in the biopic

Shirley how did you prepare to play

Shirley Chisum it's been a 15-year

Journey since we were going to tell

Shirley's story to now it actually

happening and I think 15 years ago I

wasn't ready to play Shirley I may have

thought that I was then but I wasn't

ready I needed to live more life Regina

is joined by her sister Raina who

co-produces and plays a key role in the

film that Chronicles Shirley chism's

political rise in

1972 as she becomes the first black

woman to run for president we felt like

there were so many people who did not

know who Shirley Chisum is who she was

who she is and that bugged us when

you're a first when when you set out to

do something that no one else has done

before there's no example of that for

you that's a lonely road to travel

yeah and it just so happens to be an

election year yeah we were like no it

needs to live and be in the space now um

so that if it's going to inspire anyone

especially young people to be involved

with the political process then we've

done something right and we've also

honored Shirley and we've um we'

followed through with what

Shirley is has unbought and boss for the

last couple of years Regina has been

taking much needed time away in January

of 2022 her Dear Son Ian tragically

passing away by Suicide you dedicated

the film to your beloved Ian youran what

has this time span these last two years

been like for you oh wow

um you know um I'm I'm I'm a different

person you know uh now than I was um

January

19th um I

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am grief is is is a journey you know I I

understand that um grief is love that

has no place to go I know that it's

important to

me

to honor Ian

in the

totality of 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 but behind that joy and

happiness Ian's mental health took a

toll when it comes

to um

depression that people expected to look

a certain way and they expected to look

look heavy

and um people expect that

um it's okay to have to experience this

and not be able to um have the um time

to just sit with Ian's Choice which I

respect and understand you know that he

didn't want to be here anymore and

that's a um a hard thing for other

people

to uh receive because they did not live

um our experience um did not live Ian's

journey I think a lot of people a lot of

people are going to appreciate that you

said it was his

choice and that you recognize that I was

so angry with God you know that why

would why

would that weight be given to Ian you

know of all of the things that we had

gone through with the therapy psych

psych with psychiatrists and programs

and and he just Ian was like I'm tired

of talking fing mom my favorite thing

about myself is being Ian's mom and I

can't say

that with a smile with tears with all of

the emotion that comes with that I can't

do that um if I did not um respect the

journey they close Bond always on full

display at Regina's Red Carpet Events I

I thought about him when you were on the

stage at the Oscars cuz you were wearing

orange that's his favorite color yes I

remember he used to escort you yeah to

so are there moments where he was always

there with you

physically that not not as a trigger but

is it oh it's a trigger is it absolutely

absolutely so sometimes it'll trigger um

just laughter most times um as of recent

it it triggers a smile um but sometimes

um

the absence his absence is really loud

Regina admits she still struggles with

acceptance sometimes you know it's a lot

of guilt

um comes over me when a parent loses a

child you still wonder what could I have

done to so that wouldn't have happened I

know that I

share this grief with um everyone but no

one else is Ian's mom you know only me

and so

um it's mine and the the sadness uh will

never go away it'll always be with me

and I think I saw um somewhere

uh the sadness is a reminder of how much

he means to me you know

happy sorrow is what my mother used to

call it happy

sorrow you said um something that

Shirley Chism what are the two words

unbought and

unbossed so what are two words for your

M to get what what would be your two

words I don't know that I can two

words I had two words for you do you Ian

Mom that's the first thought that came

to my mind I know you that's the first

thought that came to my mind but I was

like okay let me come up with something

more profound let me that's what I was

trying to but that was the first thought

that came to my mind that's all right

Ian's mom yeah she is she's such a

special special human being and she said

that often that she will feel his

presence or something will be said

somebody that she didn't know that her

son knew will say something and she

calls those her e Inspirations e

Inspirations named after her son but for

her to be able to find the strength at

this at this point um to sit down and

she was very we talked over the weekend

when she was at the Oscars and she said

I'm ready to talk uh you know this this

film that I'm doing is is very important

I know people want to talk about that I

want to be able to talk about my son I'm

not going to make him a poster child for

what's going on I want to talk about it

once and then but I love that thought

that he's always with her yeah yes yes

and so many wise Revelations I mean my

mouth was just open listening to the

wisdom come from her and she did say

something and and and I was telling

Rebecca about it and I wanted to come

out right she she is so appreciative of

the public and when she was at the Oscar

people were hitting her up on Instagram

like oh you're back they were great to

see her she said it's wonderful that

people and they have they're well

intended they're well they're they're

good intentions but she said when you

say to somebody who's lost a child or

gone that be strong she said getting out

of the bed is being strong you don't

need to say that to someone just

breathing just walking just being is

being strong yeah really beautiful and

surely I'm telling you it is a terrific

film it's in Select theaters Friday and

on Netflix globally on March 22nd well

hey there GMA fans Robin Roberts here

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