Rickey Smiley in Grief as His Oldest Son Brandon Dies at 32

On January 29, 2023, Rickey took to his Instagram page to announce the tragic news of his oldest son's demise. The stand-up comedian shared a video revealing he heard the bad news that morning and was on his way to Birmingham.

Next, Rickey asked the public to pray for him and the family, specifically Brandon's mother, Brenda, the deceased's siblings, and his young daughter, Storm.

Then, the entertainment icon proceeded to relate his pain to how his grandfather felt when Rickey's father died. The comedian said he understood what his grandfather went through and why he felt that way.

Rickey finished his heartbreaking revelation with the words:

"My granddaddy went through this sh*t with my dad and somehow, here I am going through the same thing my grandparents went through. So just pray for our family."

After Rickey shared the tragic news, many fans trooped to the comments section to offer their heartfelt condolences. Fellow celebrities were not left out as they also offered encouraging words to their colleague.

Film producer Yandy Smith expressed their thoughts through the broken hearts emoji. She also prayed for God to comfort Rickey and his family and grant them peace in their spirits.

Artist Headkrack also told the comedian he would be available if Rickey needed him. According to Headkrack, the radio presenter's kids were like his nephews, and he understood how Rickey felt.

Other condolences came from Kandi Burruss, Porsha Guobadia, Taraji P. Henson, Jonathan McReynolds, Marvin Sapp, Mike Epps, Tamika Mallory, Bill Bellamy, and many others.

A few hours after Rickey shared the sad news, the icon honored his son's legacy. Taking to Instagram, the doting dad shared a video of Brandon performing stand-up comedy three years ago.

Meanwhile, Brandon's cause of death remains under wraps. Besides Rickey, the deceased is survived by his three-year-old daughter Storm, his mom, Brenda, a brother, and three sisters.

Brandon's demise is not the only difficult experience Rickey has had to face in the last few years. In 2020, the comedian's daughter, Aaryn, was shot multiple times in a random act of gun violence.

The incident occurred while Aaryn ate at a Whataburger and celebrating her 19th birthday with her boyfriend. At the time, Rickey explained frantically how he tried to get direct flights to Houston but was unable to due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Later that day, the worried dad shared photos of Aaryn on social media, revealing she was still in surgery before asking for prayers and support. Thankfully, the surgery was a success.

Later on, during an episode of Rickey's Atlanta-based radio talk show, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Aaryn spoke with her father about the terrifying incident. Nearly three years later, Aaryn appears to be doing very well.