Things got emotional during “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Thursday night, as the host had to hold back tears while welcoming his guest, Regina King. The moment marked their first interview together since King’s son died by suicide in January 2022.
Kimmel excitedly introduced her, as he does all his guests, but as the applause died down and she sat, the ABC host pointedly asked her “How are you doing right now?” When King smiled and answered “Right now, I’m good,” Kimmel started fighting his tears.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that. I know you’ve been through a lot the last year,” he said, with his voice cracking on the last few words.
At that, King reached across the desk and grabbed his hand, saying very seriously that “It’s good to see you Jimmy.” He returned the sentiment, though it was barely audible as he tried to keep the tears in.
From there, he broke the tension by asking if King had seen William Shatner backstage, prompting the actress to laugh at the hard pivot into a lighter interview. King and Shatner starred together in “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous,” marking a mini-reunion on the show.
There was no direct mention of King’s son, but she has been opening up during the “Shirley” press tour about how she’s been coping.
Kimmel, of course, knows the pain of being a parent who nearly loses a son. The host has been open on the show about his own son being born with a congenital heart condition, and has missed multiple shows to support his child as he’s undergone multiple procedures.
You can watch the full exchange between Regina King and Jimmy Kimmel in the video above.