Rickey Smiley announced some unfortunate news this past weekend. The longtime comedian and radio personality took to social media to confirm the passing of his oldest son, Brandon Smiley. The younger Smiley died at the age of 32 and, as of this writing, his cause of death has not been revealed. Rickey got incredibly candid while speaking on his son’s death, and an army of fans have sent well wishes his way. At the same time, celebrities like Marlon Wayans and Niecy Nash have also reached out with kind words of their own.
Many took notice when Rickey Smiley took to Instagram to confirm Brandon’s death. Celebrities seemingly flooded the comments, where nothing but warm sentiments and good vibes were shared. Actress Tisha Campbell and comedian Deon Cole are just a few of the notable names that one can find while scrolling down the list. As mentioned, Niecy Nash – the star of The Rookie: Feds – shared a message of encouragement as well:
I’m so sorry Rickey 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Niecy Nash has known Rickey Smiley for some time, as the two have collaborated over the years. One of their most notable shared works is the comedy sketch “The Pew,” which also sees Tyler Perry reprise his role as Madea. Smiley has come to know quite a few comedians such as Nash, and that includes Marlon Wayans. When responding to Brandon Smiley’s death, Wayans, who rarely ever hesitates to show reverence towards someone, dropped a loving, faith-based reply:
All my love my brother. God will get you through. 🙏🏽
Fellow comedian Lil Rel Howery also chimed in with some words of his own. The Get Out scene-stealer has been friends with the former DishNation host for years and, upon hearing about his son, he expressed sadness over the family’s loss and wished them the best
Oh man so so so so sorry to hear that brother. Praying for you and the fam 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
It’s very lovely to see the sheer outpouring of love for the Smiley family during this time. In addition to the aforementioned stars, Mike Epps, Taraji P. Henson and Kandi Burruss lent their support. You can see their responses and a few more down below:
- Mike Epps: 😢 Praying for you Rick man
- Taraji P. Henson: Jesus!!!! I am so sorry 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
- Kandi Burruss: Oh no! I’m so sorry for your loss. I love you & Im praying for you! ❤️
- Bill Bellamy: My brother we are praying for you and your family …..what is going on in this world….. so many of these heartbreaking moments. My condolences to you and your family ….🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
- Tamar Braxton: I’m so sorry friend 💔
- Marvin Sapp: Praying for you
When addressing the death of his son in his video, Rickey Smiley asked for prayers, especially for Brandon’s mother and siblings. Rickey candidly likened this family tragedy to the time when his own father passed and his grandfather was left to mourn him. Rickey solemnly said, “Now I see what my granddaddy went through and why he felt the way he felt.” Rickey and Brandon, who also had a three-year-old daughter, seemed to be quite close, with both even sharing a love for stand-up comedy. To honor his son, the older Smiley posted a video of his chip off the old block performing on stage. You can check it out down below:
When addressing the death of his son in his video, Rickey Smiley asked for prayers, especially for Brandon’s mother and siblings. Rickey candidly likened this family tragedy to the time when his own father passed and his grandfather was left to mourn him. Rickey solemnly said, “Now I see what my granddaddy went through and why he felt the way he felt.” Rickey and Brandon, who also had a three-year-old daughter, seemed to be quite close, with both even sharing a love for stand-up comedy. To honor his son, the older Smiley posted a video of his chip off the old block performing on stage. You can check it out down below:
This development represents yet another unfortunate blow for the Smileys in just a few years. In 2020, Rickey Smiley’s daughter, Aaryn, was shot multiple times in a random act of gun violence while. Thankfully, the young woman survived her injuries. It goes without saying that Brandon’s death must now be an incredibly difficult pill for his relatives to swallow but, at the very least, Rickey and his family can find comfort in knowing that they have so many people in their corner right now.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the entire Smiley family during this difficult time.
