Larry King is breaking his silence after suffering the loss of his son and daughter within one month of each other.
“It is with sadness and a father’s broken heart that I confirm the recent loss of two of my children, Andy King, and Chaia King,” Larry wrote on Facebook. “Both of them were good and kind souls and they will be greatly missed.”
The 86-year-old broadcasting icon continued, “Andy passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 28th, and Chaia passed on August 20th, only a short time after having been diagnosed with lung cancer. Losing them feels so out of order. No parent should have to bury a child.”
Larry concluded by requesting privacy during this difficult time, writing, “My family and I thank you for your outpouring of kind sentiments and well wishes. In this moment, we need a little time and privacy to heal. I thank you for respecting that.”
Larry adopted Andy, the child of his then-wife, Alene Akins, in the early 1960s. Larry and Alene divorced, but later briefly remarried, and that second marriage is when they welcomed Chaia. Decades later, Larry welcomed his youngest sons, Chance and Cannon, with now-estranged wife Shawn King.
Cannon shared a heartfelt post commemorating his late family members on Instagram last week. He explained that he had recently reunited with them for Father’s Day in June, and said that he believed the quick succession of their deaths wasn’t a coincidence, writing, “I love them both so much and as difficult as this is I have a strong feeling that Andy may have left this earth because his sister would need him more than we would here. They have such complementary strengths and I know they are embracing each other right now.”
Larry suffered a near fatal stroke last May, weeks after undergoing heart surgery. He’s since recovered, and his fourth-oldest son, Chance, reflected on the emotional time on Instagram last summer, writing, “He fought and his indomitable spirit pulled him through. I will be forever grateful for my dad and the amazing man and example he is to me. Our love for each other is endless and everlasting. Difficult times can diminish you, define you, or develop you. Although this experience has been tough, it has been and continues to be a blessing.”