Taraji P. Henson opens up about the death of her ex

Actress Taraji P. Henson is recalling the time she had to go through a parent's worst nightmare.

During Wednesday's "Peace of Mind with Taraji," the 50-year-old spoke about the difficult decision she faced upon learning that her ex-boyfriend, William LaMarr "Mark" Johnson, was killed.

"My son's father was suddenly taken, murdered, when he was 9 and I didn't know how to tell him that," Henson admitted to co-host Tracie Jade Jenkins. "I couldn't tell him he was murdered."

Johnson, who was Henson's high school sweetheart, was 34 at the time of his death in 2003.

The "Empire" alum told her son, Marcel, that Johnson "died in an accident."

"I just didn't have the words. I didn't know how to tell a 9-year-old," Henson tearfully explained. "[His dad] was stabbed to death. It was the worst way you could die."

Marcel, who is now 26, eventually learned what happened and confronted her, said Henson.

"He came back to me and was like, 'Why didn't you tell me my daddy was murdered?' And so then we had to get therapy," she said.

The conversation was then turned over to the show's guest, therapist Sierra Hillsman, who provided tips on how to properly have a difficult conversation with a young child.

Hillsman advised that the best way to talk about sensitive topics with children is to use age-appropriate language and to explain "there are situations where people do evil things to other people."

"Peace of Mind with Taraji" airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 12 p.m. ET on Facebook Watch.