Rickey Smiley mourned his son Brandon’s death with an emotional clip on his Instagram on Monday, January 30. The comic, 54, spoke about Brandon’s passing at 32 a day after his unexpected death. He said that the day after learning that his son had died was even more heartbreaking than the day before, and he opened up about the grief that he and the rest of the family were experiencing.
Brandon died on January 29, and Rickey shared the tragic news and that he was traveling to Birmingham in a short Instagram video that day. In the original video, he asked for prayers, but didn’t share more details about his son’s passing. The comedian spoke about the emotions he was feeling the following day. “I just never thought I would be a member of an organization where you have to bury your kid. It’s a terrible nightmare,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
Rickey explained that when he first got the news that his son had died, he was taken off guard with the news, but a day later the grief started to set in. “I didn’t even cry at all yesterday. I was just in shock, but today, the sadness is settling in,” he said.
Rickey said that his other children as well as his mother were also heartbroken by Brandon’s death. He shared that his mother had spoken to Brandon about going to church before he died and hours after she texted him he had died. He said that he was heartbroken not only for his son’s death but for his loved ones also. “I thank God for giving him to us,” he said. “I feel bad for my son’s mother more than anything. I feel bad for her. For all the parents that have to bury their kids or had to bury their kids, I know what it feels like.”
Rickey was also thankful for the support that fans and loved ones had offered. He asked for fans to pray for Brandon’s mother, siblings, and cousins, before he signed off. “Thank you all for your prayers and your concerns,” he said near the end of the video. “I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, the outpouring of love and support for us. I’m going to be okay, but reality is setting in this morning. This morning is different from yesterday. There’s some other kind of stuff right here, where I feel like someone is stomping on my chest.”