MLK's Youngest Son, Dexter Scott King, Dies At 62

MALIBU, CA — Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died Monday at his Malibu home.

The King Center announced that King, 62, died after a battle with prostate cancer. His wife, Leah Weber King, said King "transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu."

“He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might”, Leah Weber King said in a statement.

King was seven when his father was assassinated in 1968. He served president of the King estate and as the chairman of the King Center in Atlanta, which aims to serve as a living memorial for the elder King and inspire younger generations to carry forward his work, according to the nonprofit.

"Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time," the Rev. Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center said in a statement.

Known for his striking resemblance to his father, King portrayed him in the 2002 TV movie "The Rosa Parks Story." He moved to California to pursue a career in acting, but was called to spend the rest of his life balancing his love of the arts with his duties to the King family legacy, the nonprofit said.