A Brief Portrait
I think of Chaia King as a quiet river running alongside a bustling highway. She was born in 1969, a daughter in a famous American broadcast family and someone who chose to keep a modest profile in public life. Her father was Larry King, a name synonymous with late night conversations and the hum of studio lights. Her mother was Alene Akins, a former Playboy Bunny who kept her own life private after the spotlight found the family. Chaia herself preferred the background. She stepped forward when it mattered, wrote, loved, and stayed close to family. In August 2020, after a brief and brave fight with lung cancer, she died, leaving her family and those who knew her to remember a life marked by loyalty, tenderness, and perspective.
Roots and Parents
Family trees can look orderly on paper, yet in life they feel more like vines. Larry King married Alene Akins twice. In that intertwined history, Chaia arrived and became a steady presence. Larry brought the energy of newsrooms and interview chairs, a man who lived for the story and the next dialogue. Alene had grace, a kind of poise that belongs to people who have stood in the public eye but know how to retreat into sanctuary. Together they made a home for Chaia. They also raised Alene’s son, Andy, whom Larry adopted, and the siblings shared a bond that would become a central thread in Chaia’s story.
Siblings and the Wider Circle
If you walk the King family landscape, you cross several paths. There is Andy King, Alene’s son and Larry’s adopted child, who died in late July 2020. There is Larry King Jr., the son of Larry and Annette Kaye, a half-brother whose existence aligns with the long arc of Larry’s early life in media. There are Chance Armstrong King and Cannon Edward King, younger sons from Larry’s marriage to Shawn Southwick, whose photos and appearances help paint the picture of Larry’s later years as a father. There is also Danny Southwick, Shawn’s son, a stepson to Larry and step-sibling to Chaia in the family sense. On the paternal side stand Jennie Gitlitz and Aaron Edward Zeiger, Larry’s parents, the grandparents whose names remind us that every story starts earlier than we think.
A Moment in Print: Daddy Day, Daughter Day
Some children speak through the arts. In 1997, Chaia King co-authored a children’s book with her father titled Daddy Day, Daughter Day. The book explored the rhythms of divorce and visitation, the perspective of a child and the voice of a dad trying to make sense of the new shape of family. I read it and hear candor. The pages offer a hand to any child trying to navigate a weekend schedule or the ache of a departure. It stands as a public artifact of Chaia’s inner world and her desire to help others find language for complicated feelings. The book is also a sign of how father and daughter worked together, framing family as something you maintain with intention and empathy.
Loss and Remembrance
The year 2020 took twin tolls on the King family. Andy King died suddenly in late July, reportedly from a heart attack. Weeks later, Chaia succumbed to lung cancer after a brief battle. Larry King, a father both devastated and determined to honor his children, shared the news publicly and asked for space to mourn. Loss in a famous family still feels intensely personal. You can see the snapshots of birthdays and gatherings, the small rituals that stitch a family together. Chaia’s burial, recorded by memorial sites, places her near her mother. Those details speak to continuity, to a daughter’s love for the woman who first taught her what home means. In 2017, Alene had died, and the family had already passed through one valley. In 2021, Larry himself died, and the story of the Kings turned another page.
The Quiet Choice
What strikes me about Chaia’s life is the choice to live quietly. In an era when many seek public identity, she mostly declined. Her book is the clearest line we can trace. Beyond that, there is no long list of press appearances, brand partnerships, or grand proclamations. This is not a gap to fill with speculation. It is an expression of a preference. Some people build cathedrals of attention. Others plant gardens. Chaia appeared to be a gardener, content to nurture the spaces that mattered to her.
Timeline Highlights
- 1969: Chaia King is born to Larry King and Alene Akins.
- 1997: Daddy Day, Daughter Day is published, co-authored by Chaia and Larry.
- 2017: Alene Akins dies, closing a chapter in the family’s story.
- July 2020: Andy King dies, a sudden blow to the family.
- August 2020: Chaia dies after a short battle with lung cancer.
- 2021: Larry King dies, and the family’s history becomes legacy.
I read these dates not as cold markers but as mileposts. Behind each one are voices, handshakes, holidays, forgiveness, and unspoken prayers.
What We Know and What We Do Not
About Chaia’s professional life beyond the book, the record is brief. I do not find credible public accounts of a separate high-profile career or detailed employment timeline. There are no verified reports of awards, elected roles, or business ventures attached to her name. Her net worth is not publicly documented, and there is no clear record of a spouse or children. This is the honest terrain of her public profile. It lets us focus on what is known without inflating the unknown.
Family Ties That Bind
I think about the emotional physics of blended families. Adoption, remarriage, half-siblings, and step-siblings ask for patience and presence. Chaia occupied that space with grace. She had a father whose life was filled with microphones and deadlines. She had a mother who knew both glamour and privacy. She had siblings whose stories diverged and converged, each thread weaving into the larger pattern. Her co-authored book stands as proof that she wanted children and parents to have tools for navigating these realities. That impulse, to make the road a little smoother, feels like her signature.
FAQ
Who were Chaia King’s parents?
Chaia was the daughter of Larry King and Alene Akins. Larry and Alene married, divorced, then married again before their final divorce. Within that history, they raised Chaia and also brought Alene’s son Andy into the family through adoption by Larry.
Did Chaia have a public career?
Outside of co-authoring a children’s book with her father in 1997, there is no substantial record of a larger public career for Chaia. She kept a low profile and did not pursue the kind of visibility many associate with celebrity families.
What is Daddy Day, Daughter Day about?
The book is a child and father’s exploration of divorce and visitation, aimed at helping families communicate about the practical and emotional rhythms of living across households. It uses clear language and approachable storytelling to normalize feelings and routines that can be difficult for children.
How did Chaia King die?
Chaia died in August 2020 after a short battle with lung cancer. Her father publicly acknowledged her passing and spoke about the grief of losing both Andy and Chaia within weeks.
Who are Chaia’s siblings and step-siblings?
Chaia’s adoptive brother Andy King died in July 2020. Her half-brothers include Larry King Jr., from Larry’s marriage to Annette Kaye, and Chance Armstrong King and Cannon Edward King, from Larry’s marriage to Shawn Southwick. Danny Southwick, Shawn’s son, is a step-sibling in the broader family network.
Where was Chaia laid to rest?
Public memorial information records that Chaia was buried, and that she rests near her mother, a detail that reflects the family’s enduring closeness.
What do we know about Chaia’s personal life beyond family?
There is no verified public record of Chaia’s spouse or children. Her personal life remains largely undisclosed, aligning with her preference for privacy and limited public presence.
