Even though acting legend, Regina King, has won an Emmy Award and starred in many classic TV shows and films, just like us regular folks, being a celebrity does not exempt one from personal heartbreak and tragedy.
Pain Anguish, And Anger
Regina King penned an essay for the book, “He Never Came Home: Interviews, Stories, and Essays from Daughters on Life Without Their Fathers.” In it she revealed the pain, anguish and anger she endured with her father, her ex-husband, Ian Alexander Sr. pictured below), and how she overcame it for the sake of their son, Ian Jr. Check out what she said below….
Regina King On The Tension Between Her Parents
I was only eight when my parents got divorced, but I don’t remember their split being such a surprise. I never knew what went wrong, but after seven years, their relationship had reached a level where they were constantly arguing. Like, every day. There was a lot of door-slamming going on, too, and it was hard not to notice my dad sleeping in the living room. I remember him lying on the floor every night, for months, because the couch was too soft for his back.
The tension was thick, and I was so embarrassed by the thought of everybody in the neighborhood knowing, or at least hearing, what was going on in our house. …
I was more disappointed and even more hurt when my father seemed to just drift out of our lives. I only realized much later that the divorce really had little to do with that. It had more to do with who he was as a man.
How Her “227” ‘Dad’ Helped Her
I credit my former co-star Hal Williams (pictured below) with being a wonderful influence. He played my father on 227… and also became a father figure for me when the cameras stopped rolling. He’d let me sit up under him and talk about teenage stuff and just be, which was something I no longer did with my dad. Hal is a warm, loving person and I really appreciate him for being there for me. Around that time, I also had to deal with the fact that my dad married a woman who was barely five years older than me. At seventeen, that was a lot for me to process because, more than anything, I just wanted to be closer to him.
Regina King On Why She Was Outraged With Her Dying Father
I was completely in the dark about Parkinson’s disease. I didn’t know what it was or how it would affect his life, but just the thought of him facing a serious health issue was heartbreaking to me. And things only got worse. He deteriorated more and more, year after year. By the time the disease really began to take over his mind and body, he was living in Panola County, Texas, with his fourth wife. I was pregnant when my husband and I went to visit him, and I was devastated by what I saw. The house was so unkempt and seeing my dad living in those conditions made me even more emotional than I already was. My husband didn’t want me to be in that environment, nor did he like seeing me so upset, so he made up an excuse for us to cut the trip short. I couldn’t get that whole scene out of my head, though, and once I learned that my dad’s son-in-law had stolen a lot of his money, I knew something had to change. That’s when Pat and I started planning to bring him back home to Los Angeles.
I loved my dad and did all that I could to make sure he had the best care, but I also felt some resentment about the situation. There were times when I thought, You weren’t there for me for so long and now I’ve got to take care of you? Then, on the flip side, I felt guilty about being resentful toward someone who was suffering so much. …
…By this point he was not able to speak well or express his feelings, I sensed that he felt guilty about how things had turned out. I’m sure he had regrets about the past. I could see it on his face. I had regrets, too. I regretted the number of years that had passed without us having a better relationship. I regretted that he wasn’t able to share in the special moments like my wedding, where my grandfather walked me down the aisle, or the birth of my son or any of my professional achievements. I also wished Ian could have had the opportunity to really know him.
Next Page: Regina King Reveals Tension With Her Ex-Husband
