How to rickey smiley son died

Rickey Smiley is reflecting on his son Brandon Smiley 's sudden passing.

Death can be a very challenging road to walk through, and for those who have lost a loved one, the emotional toll after the fact can weigh heavily. For families in the spotlight, it can even become more challenging to navigate the overwhelming grief in the spotlight, and popular radio personality Rickey Smiley 's family knows this all too well. Earlier this year, in January , Rickey's family shared the tragic news of his son Brandon Smiley 's passing with friends and supporters. He was 32 years old at the time. So what happened, and how has Rickey kept his son's legacy alive? Keep reading to find out. At the time of his death, Brandon was following in his father's entertainment industry footsteps and was an aspiring stand-up comedian.

How to rickey smiley son died

Rickey Smiley is opening up about his son's death with a warning and a testimony of his faith. The comedian and host joined "Today" show's Craig Melvin to talk more about his son, Brandon, who died in January from what Smiley believes to be a drug overdose. Smiley first broke the "bad news" on Instagram Jan. Smiley said his son had been "struggling with" substance abuse and that he and Brandon's mother "made several attempts to try and send him to get the help he needed" at rehab. He had just joined the church, he had just gotten baptized, again, probably a month before he passed away," Smiley said. When Smiley first shared the news in January, he did not specify his son's cause of death nor give his age. On the NBC morning news program, the comedian said though the toxicology report hasn't yet been finalized, the family is "speculating" his cause of death was from drug use based on the information they have. More: Substance abuse rose in the pandemic. That may explain our slow to return to work, study shows. Smiley was "shocked, but not surprised" and said he is leaning on his faith to keep him going in the face of tragedy. If your or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at The service is free, confidential and available in English and Spanish.

On the contrary, Brandon was "hard-working," according to his father. Comedian and radio host Rickey Smiley said his son Brandon died from an overdose, warning parents not to assume their kids are safe from drug addiction. Still, "he knew how much I loved him," he says.

Comedian and radio host Rickey Smiley said his son Brandon died from an overdose, warning parents not to assume their kids are safe from drug addiction. Brandon Jamaad Smiley, 32, was found unresponsive inside his Birmingham residence by a friend on Jan. At the time, investigators said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. Smiley said his son overdosed on drugs though an official determination from a toxicology report has not been made. We thought he was doing better. He had just joined the church, just got baptized again probably a month before he passed away. And it killed him.

Rickey Smiley spoke publicly for the first time about the death of his oldest son, Brandon , who died at the age of 32 in January. On Wednesday, the comedian sat down with Craig Melvin on the third hour of Today , and shared that his son's death is a suspected overdose following years of substance abuse issues. And we thought that he was doing better. Although Smiley noted that "he used and it killed him," he said that it was just speculation, as the family is waiting for the results of the toxicology report. Smiley said that he and Brandon's mother often had conversations with their son, and encouraged other parents to do the same, even if it seems the children won't listen. The problem is getting the kids to listen to these conversations. Smiley added that he was "shocked, but not surprised" about Brandon's death.

How to rickey smiley son died

Comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley has found a new purpose since losing his year-old son Brandon to an accidental overdose in January. The host of radio's The Rickey Smiley Morning Show is speaking out about his grief and encouraging families to have conversations about addiction. The manner of death was ruled as accidental, according to the autopsy report from the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office. Father to a 3-year-old daughter, Brandon battled an addiction to painkillers for years, according to Smiley.

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Brandon Jamaad Smiley, 32, was found unresponsive inside his Birmingham residence by a friend on Jan. Today, Rickey continues to share memories of his late son and his faith on social media. That may explain our slow to return to work, study shows. Smiley, a Birmingham native, said believes parents are having the tough conversation with their children about the dangers of drug abuse. Rickey's nephew reportedly died by suicide in the spring of If your or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at And though he noted that Brandon "used and it killed him," the year-old also explained that his theory hasn't been confirmed yet, as the family awaits pending reports. Smiley and Brandon's mother split when their son was a baby, and Brandon came to live with his dad in eighth grade. The service is free, confidential and available in English and Spanish. So just pray for our family. We promise. All Rights Reserved. So what happened, and how has Rickey kept his son's legacy alive? We thought he was doing better. The problem is getting the kids to listen to these conversations.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call, text, or message the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

There's a lot of people that lost their kids. A little more than a month after sharing that his son died at the age of 32 , the radio personality is opening up about Brandon's possible cause of death, noting that substance use could have been a factor. As Rickey emphasized on the show , having buried his father when he was around 6 years old made him want to become the best dad he could ever be. Smiley said his son had been "struggling with" substance abuse and that he and Brandon's mother "made several attempts to try and send him to get the help he needed" at rehab. Lifestyle Health. Smiley first broke the "bad news" on Instagram Jan. Death can be a very challenging road to walk through, and for those who have lost a loved one, the emotional toll after the fact can weigh heavily. Rickey Smiley spoke publicly for the first time about the death of his oldest son, Brandon , who died at the age of 32 in January. Smiley said his son overdosed on drugs though an official determination from a toxicology report has not been made. If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call, text, or message the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. We thought he was doing better. All Rights Reserved.