Radio host Rickey Smiley revealed in January that his son, Brandon, had passed away. The comedian recently disclosed that his son may have died of a drug overdose.
On Thursday, March 2, Smiley did an exclusive interview with Today and discussed the circumstances surrounding the death of his 32-year-old son. In the first public interview he has given since Brandon died on Jan. 29, he speculated that he may have died of drugs, admitting that his son has struggled with addiction for some time.
He talked about getting the phone call from Brandon’s girlfriend with the tragic news.
“I was in Dallas in my apartment getting ready to watch the playoffs, and his girlfriend called. She said that, in her words, that he had OD’d.”
As he hurried to get himself to the airport to fly out to see Brandon, he received a second phone call from Brandon’s younger sister, Taylor. It wasn’t a pleasant call.
“I got a phone call on my way out the door … that he had passed. She was crying.”
A toxicology report has not come back yet, and authorities have already ruled out foul play but have yet to determine the cause of death. According to what Brandon’s girlfriend told him, the assumption is leaning toward his suspected drug use.
“This is just what we’re speculating, according to his girlfriend, who found him unresponsive,” Smiley said.
Smiley reiterated that his son had a problem he was battling, which may have been the reason for his death. The comedian even mentioned that his path to normalcy was in place as he had just gotten baptized recently after joining a church.
“He was struggling with that,” Smiley said. “His mother and I made several attempts to try to send him to get the help that he needed — send him to rehab. We thought that he was doing better — he had just joined the church, and he had just gotten baptized again probably a month before he passed away.”
“He used, and it killed him,” Smiley said.
Although no parent is ever prepared for a child’s passing, Brandon’s death has given Smiley some perspective.
“Deep inside, I was kind of prepared for it, but at the same time, when it happens, you can never be prepared because that’s your child,” he stated. Smiley added that God “kind of gave me a sense … I understand what’s out there.”
“The God that we serve is just awesome — He has given me peace that surpasses all understanding. If anything makes me cry, it’s God’s goodness to be able to get out of the bed, to be able to do my morning show, to be able to protect my kids, my grandkids, and the rest of my family. So, I just thank God for His grace and His mercy.”