Regina King is keeping her son’s name in the room, and this time, she did it through a glass of wine, a journal entry, and the kind of love that does not end when someone is gone. At the 2026 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, King spoke about how her late son, Ian Alexander Jr., inspired her wine brand MianU, telling attendees that she still speaks of him in the present because “he’s always with me.”
During the June 20 “Tall Tales & Cocktails” seminar, King described Ian as someone who could stand firmly in his own truth while still recognizing other people’s feelings. She said he had a rare ability to notice when someone felt hurt, embarrassed, or left out, a quality she admitted many people struggle to hold onto when trying to prove themselves right.
King also read from one of Ian’s personal journal entries, where he reflected on walking from Burbank to Hollywood and finding peace in the sound of passing cars. For King, those words connect directly to MianU, pronounced “me and you,” a wine brand she created to honor Ian’s spirit, creativity, and love of connection. The official MianU site says the brand honors Ian by celebrating his “depth, joy,” and ability to elevate simple moments.
The story behind MianU is deeply personal. King has said Ian introduced her to orange wine, and the brand’s name carries his name inside it. What could have been just a celebrity wine label instead became a tribute built around memory, taste, and the bond between a mother and her only child.
Ian Alexander Jr. died by suicide in January 2022, shortly after his 26th birthday. He was King’s only child, whom she shared with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr. At the time, King said her family was “devastated” and described Ian as a bright light who cared deeply about others.
In 2024, King spoke publicly about her grief for the first time on “Good Morning America,” telling Robin Roberts that grief is a journey and saying she had become a different person since Ian’s death. She also shared that Ian had struggled with his mental health.
Now, through MianU, King is not packaging pain for public consumption. She is preserving a relationship in a new form. And while grief changed the way memories are made, King made it clear that Ian’s presence still shapes hers.
