January 29, 2023, was a sad day for the Smiley family, who lost their son Brandon Smiley. Smiley himself was the first son of Atlanta-based comedian Ricky Smiley. The older Smiley divulged this news on an Instagram post that aptly lacked his usual comedic flair.
His words were, “I have bad news this morning. I just want everyone to pray for me. My son, Brandon Smiley, has passed away this morning.” He went on to implore fans to pray for his family in their time of mourning. At the time, he did not share his son’s cause of death, In light of that tragic news, here’s everything we know so far about Brandon Smiley.
He Was Born To Ricky Smiley And Brenda Morris
The late Brandon Smiley was born to Ricky Smiley and Brenda Morris. In his post concerning his son’s death, the comedian specifically asked fans to “pray for my son’s mother, Brenda.” This points back to a relationship he had back in the day with a certain Brenda Morris. Apparently, the pair tied the knot when Morris was still a teenager. So, they started their lives together quite early on. However, their marriage ran into some turbulence at some point. After having their four children, got divorced. Altogether, the couple was married for a total of 12 years.
Brandon Smiley Lived In Alabama
It seems that Smiley was living in Birmingham, Alabama, or at least staying there at the time of his death. In the video Rickey Smiley released about his son’s death, he added that he would be flying to Birmingham shortly after. This seems like the most plausible explanation since the comedian himself was born in Birmingham.
He Was A Father Himself
Again, most of the information out there about Brandon Smiley was gleaned from his father’s Instagram post. In the post, he said, he also asked fans to pray for “his siblings, and his daughter Storm.” Needless to say, that confirms that the comedian’s son had a daughter. Her mother’s name remains undisclosed.
Brandon Smiley Was The Oldest Of Five Children
Death is always hard on the people left behind, and in this case, Smiley left behind lots of people who loved him, including his three siblings. His biological siblings include D’Assence Smiley, Malik Smiley, and Aaryn Smiley. The fifth child in the mix, Craig Smiley, was adopted by Ricky Smiley. Following his demise, his siblings did not hesitate to take to social media and honor him with their words. Malik Smiley wrote, “Nothing could’ve prepared me for this man, you broke my heart in ways I can’t explain bro. Part of me still don’t believe you gone. Imma miss you and love you forever bro.” In Aaryn Smiley’s post, she wrote, “Rest in peace, big brother. I love you forever.”
One of His Sibling Was A Gunshot Victim In 2020
While this was no doubt shocking and tragic news for the family, the good news is that Aaryn Smiley pulled through. The entire ordeal started out as a road rage incident and soon escalated to the point that she got shot. Rickey Smiley spoke about it on his radio show while updating his fans that she would be OK. During that time, Aaryn Smiley got a whole lot of support and good wishes. So, once she was up for it, she sent out her own update saying, “This is the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me, I won’t be out of the hospital for a while, nor will I be able to walk for a while due to nerve damage.”
Brandon Smiley Died Due To A Drug Overdose
Soon after it happened, Ricky Smiley revealed the cause of his untimely death. Apparently, his death was due to a drug overdose. The comedian equally revealed that it was a habit his son had been struggling with for some time. Alongside his mother, Brenda Morris, he had attempted to get him some help on numerous occasions.
In the months leading up to his death, Brandon Smiley seemed to be doing much better, and according to his dad, he even got baptized. Nevertheless, it seems he was still using on the down low. Smiley used that opportunity to encourage parents and guardians to have tough conversations about drug abuse with their wards.
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