Rickey Smiley is in the throes of mourning the sudden passing of his oldest child, Brandon Smiley.
The comedian and his family said their final goodbyes to Brandon on Saturday, Feb. 4, in a homegoing service, which was dubbed a standing ovation, in Birmingham, Alabama. After laying his son to rest, Rickey tweeted, “Need therapy asap. PTSd.”
In response, he received an outpouring of support, prayers, and words of encouragement. “Do that! Also realize that you have to take time for you to heal! Yo cannot keep pouring into others and not be refilled & replinshed! Praying for you Rickey!” wrote one person.
“Prayers up brother. Can’t tell you how to feel or what choices to make dealing with such a loss but I can tell you hold steady to the most high and seek comfort in him. Only he can ease this worldly pain,” read another comment.
As previously reported, the 32-year-old was found unresponsive in his home by a friend on Jan. 29. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. At this time, a cause of death has not been determined, but foul play and trauma are not suspected. The rising comedian is survived by his father, mother Brenda, 3-year-old daughter Storm, and his siblings.
Leading up to the burial at Forest Hill Cemetery, Rickey gave his online followers glimpses into the emotional turmoil he is enduring, through a series of tweets shared throughout the somber day. In a short clip, he is seen reflecting on the loss as he listened to Donny Hathaway’s “For All We Know.” In the caption, the radio personality wrote, “Just up thinking is all this is real!! God help me.”
In another tweet, he wrote, “These butterflies this morning is serious..can barely eat.” He also showed footage of family gathered around Brandon’s rose-covered casket at the burial site. “I had to say goodbye to my son #BrandonSmiley today, but #God is still good and I won’t complain,” he wrote.
In a previous video posted to his Instagram account, Rickey said that having to bury his child was “not sad; it’s f–ked up.” He noted that having to grab items such as an undershirt, socks and underwear somewhat left him in disbelief that it was the last thing he could do for Brandon.
“You know I’m good, I ain’t broken down or nothing or I haven’t broken down yet,” he said in the heartbreaking video. “I have my moments where I cry or well up [or] whatever. A man just have to keep pressing, have to keep going.”
