Regina King on Sasha Obama, Malia Obama, Son Ian’s Friendship 

Regina King is looking back on the bond the former First Daughters shared with her late son.  

The Jerry Maguire star got emotional while reflecting on her son Ian Alexander Jr.‘s friendship with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama‘s daughters, Malia Obama, 27, and Sasha Obama, 24.

As Regina said through tears during a Jan. 21 appearance on Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson‘s IMO podcast. “I wanna say [thank you] publicly to Malia and Sasha, for being great friends of Ian’s.”

The Oscar winner went on to quip that she wasn’t even aware that her son—who died by suicide in 2022—had formed a bond with the Obama sisters at first.

“We didn’t even know,” she recalled. “Ian’s cooking dinner and he’s just telling me he’s cooking dinner for some girl name Sasha. So, I’m just thinking it’s some girl named Sasha that his friend was dating.”

However, now Regina’s grateful that Sasha and Malia understand the type of person Ian—who she shared with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr.—was at his core so his memory can live on.