Comedian and radio show host Rickey Smiley took to social media on Sunday to announce the death of his oldest son, Brandon Smiley. He was 32. No cause of death or any other details were given.
“I have bad news this morning,” Smiley said in a video posted to his Instagram account. “I’m on my way to the airport to get to Birmingham. I just wanted everybody to pray for me, pray for our family. My son, Brandon Smiley, has passed away this morning.”
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“I’m about to go get on a flight, and try to get to Birmingham. Lord, have mercy. Jesus,” he continued. “I just want all our cousins and different family members to pray, be strong. I’m okay. Pray for my son’s mother, and my son’s siblings. Pray for my son and my daughter, everybody that was raised with Brandon.”
“I hate to announce this, I just want to give it to you before you hear it in the streets,” Smiley added. “My son, Brandon Smiley, passed away this morning. Life comes with a whole bunch of twists and turns.”
The radio show host went on to state, “Now I see what my granddaddy went through and why he felt the way he felt.”
File/Brandon Smiley attends TV One’s “Rickey Smiley For Real” season 2 premiere at SCADshow on May 4, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for TV One)
“My granddaddy went through this shit with my dad, and somehow here I am, going through the same thing my grandparents went through,” he said. “So just pray for our family.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin reacted to the news of Smiley’s son’s death, writing on Twitter, “I’m devastated to hear that my friend
@RickeySmiley has lost his son Brandon.”
“Rickey has given so much to our city; this is the time when we need to give back to him. Join me in wrapping our arms around him & his family during this difficult time. We’re praying for you, Rickey,” he added.
Smiley is the host of The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, a syndicated radio program.
The comedian is also a co-host of the television show Dish Nation. Over the years, viewers were able to get to know Smiley and his family members through the Rickey Smiley For Real reality series.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.