Rickey Smiley is remembering his eldest child, Brandon Smiley, for the light he carried and the lasting impact he left on his family. The 32-year-old tragically passed away from fentanyl and ethanol toxicity at his Alabama home in January.
This holiday season marked Rickey’s first without his firstborn. A day after Christmas, the radio personality published an open letter to his son, whom he calls his “hero,” in the Daily Beast.
The 55-year-old entertainer first began by recalling how Brandon was “one of the first true loves of my life.” He credited the young man with teaching him patience, perseverance, how to deeply love another, and how to show affection.
“Even as he struggled, Brandon always tried to move forward,” he wrote. Rickey previously revealed that his son had struggled with substance abuse since his adolescence. In the letter, he disclosed that his own father also dealt with addiction.
“While I know the disease can be hereditary, I was hoping that it would spare my children,” said the role model to many, who is also a father to daughter D’Essence, 25, and sons Aaryn, 21, and Malik, 21.
“One month and a half before Brandon passed away, he got baptized. It was a meaningful commitment to connect deeply with his faith — and to summon as much internal strength as possible. Faith has been key in my own life and has helped me weather life’s unpredictable storms. I was so proud that my son was tapping into the power that prayer can bring,” continued the letter.
The “Friday After Next” actor would go on to proclaim that “When I define what a hero is, I envision someone who lights up a room and thinks about themselves before others; someone who is hard-working and brings joy to so many people. Brandon was that and so much more. He is the hero that lights my way through life every day and will do so for the rest of my life.”
In his untimely passing, Brandon left behind his 3-year-old daughter, Storm. In past months, Rickey has spoke out about his efforts to gain grandparents rights. Doing so would allow him to have regular visitation with his granddaughter. It is unclear where he is in the process at this time.
As he has done on several other occasions, Rickey shared a fond memory of himself and the aspiring stand-up comic on Instagram. The Christmas video from 2017 saw the father-son duo laughing as the veteran comic told the “ghetto” version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The post was showered with messages of encouragement and notes of how alike he and his son were.
