Rickey Smiley is mourning the loss of his eldest child, comedian Brandon Smiley.
Speaking on his way to his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., the Rickey Smiley Morning Show host announced on Instagram Jan. 29 that his son had passed away. Brandon was 32 years old.
“I just had bad news this morning. I’m on the way to the airport to get to Birmingham. I just want everybody to pray for me, pray for our family,” Rickey said in a video. “My son, Brandon Smiley, has passed away this morning.”
The cause of Brandon’s death was not made public. In addition to the radio personality, he is also survived by his daughter, Storm, 3, his mom Brenda, brother Malik, 21, and sisters D’Essence, 25, Taylor, 22, and Aaryn, 21.
“I’m OK,” Rickey said in his video. “Pray for my son’s mother and my son’s siblings.”
He continued, “Now I see what my granddaddy went through and why he felt the way he felt. My granddaddy went through this s–t with my dad and somehow, here I am going through the same thing my grandparents went through. So just pray for our family.”
