Comedian Rickey Smiley recently shared a heartwarming revelation about two lights that brought him out of great darkness.
While appearing on an upcoming episode of the “Smitty and Dee Show” podcast, he shared he recently discovered he’s the father of 5-year-old identical twin daughters.
The news came following the tragic loss of his eldest son, Brandon Smiley, who passed away at age 32 from a drug overdose in 2023.
In an emotional conversation with host Toni Dee Neal, Smiley revealed that in 2024 he learned about his twin daughters after his ex-girlfriend was told in court that the man she thought was their father was not.
While he did not go into details publicly about how his paternity was established, the morning radio personality and the woman determined Smiley is the father.
“Right before the one-year anniversary of my son’s death,” he began, noting that he went to feed the homeless after hearing the news, “I found out before the one-year anniversary of Brandon’s death, God was like, ‘Be still, I got you.’”
The “First Sunday” actor explained that he was in Florida when he got a call from his ex-girlfriend, who discovered through court proceedings that another man was not the father of the girls.
“We dated after that relationship ended and come to find out I have 5-year-old identical twin beautiful daughters that I am head over heels in love with,” he shared.
The discovery is even more remarkable because Rickey had known the girls their entire lives.
“I have been knowing them their whole life. They’ve been coming over to Grayson’s birthday parties and play dates, playing on the swing set all of that stuff,” he explained.
Grayson is Smiley’s grandson, who turned 8 years old in August 2024.
When asked if he had ever noticed any resemblance, Smiley explained that he hadn’t considered the possibility due to his age, thinking surely he was too old to have any more children.
Still, the 56-year-old welcomed the pair, saying, “When I tell you that’s the first time I saw the sun again. During that dark hour, the sun came back out.”
Rickey celebrated the girls’ fifth birthday as their official father, marking a new chapter in his life. He said he was overly excited and has begun renovating his home to make accommodations for his girls who turn 6 on Feb. 1.
The news sparked a bevy of reactions from The Shade Room’s followers when the clip was reposted.
“We know Rickey loves the kids! Outside looking in— he’s a great Dad. They’re beautiful girls!” one commenter wrote.
Another noted, “Lost a son…and gained 2 daughters….look at GOD!”
While a third added, “Gave him another reason to smile and live life to the fullest. You can tell this was so timely and he is embracing it!”
Some social media users suspected something fishy was up with the mother of the girls. Smiley insisted she knew what type of father he was so she wouldn’t prevent him from seeing their kids.
This left many to defend the “Baggage Claim” star’s reputation as a caring father.
One user noted, “Rick been a father to his kids and others. No way he would’ve deliberately ignored kids. I’m glad he knows now bc bruh needed that.”
Malik, Aaryn, D'essence, Brandon and me pic.twitter.com/NM7MWJqjqP
— Rickey Smiley (@RickeySmiley) January 30, 2023
The twins join Smiley’s other living children: Malik, 24, Aaryn, 24, and D’Essence Smiley, 27. They even spent the Christmas holiday together.
He waited one month after discovering his daughters to tell the rest of his family at a memorial dinner for Brandon.
His family has faced significant challenges in recent years, including a frightening incident over July 4th weekend in 2020 when Smiley’s daughter Aaryn was shot while waiting at a stoplight in Houston.
Though she survived, the experience deeply affected Smiley as a father due to his family’s trauma from gun violence. Smiley was also shot with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun in 1995.
Beyond his biological children, he’s demonstrated a remarkable commitment to supporting young people in need. As the founder of Front Row Kids, a foundation inspired by his own experience of losing his father at age 6, he works with children who have lost their parents.
“We take a lot those kids out on boating trips because I’m a boater, and I go fishing a lot with my sons. I just appreciate my sons for opening up their heart and their home and accepting other kids, ” he shared in a 2015 interview on “The Real.” But we really have raised between 12 and 15 children.”
The comedian has processed his recent struggles through his book, “Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith” following Brandon’s death.
His deceased son, who followed in his father’s footsteps as an actor and comedian, left behind a 3-year-old daughter named Storm. Smiley is so committed to his family that he has even gone to court to guarantee he has visiting rights.
