Rickey Smiley Reveals Son, 32, Struggled With Substance Abuse Before Death: ‘We Thought He Was Doing Better

Brandon Smiley, the 32-year-old lad of vigor property and comedian Rickey Smiley, passed distant connected Jan. 29. In his archetypal interrogation since that heartbreaking tragedy, Rickey, 54, shared that his lad grappled with substance maltreatment problems. “He was struggling with that,” Rickey said connected the Mar. 2 occurrence of Today. “His parent [Rickey’s ex, Brenda Morris] and I made respective attempts to effort and nonstop him to get the assistance helium needed, nonstop him to rehab. And we thought that helium was doing better.”

“He had conscionable joined a church, and helium had conscionable gotten baptized, astir apt a period earlier helium passed away,” added Rickey. “He used, and it killed him.” However, Rickey noted that the authoritative origin of decease hadn’t been revealed. “We haven’t got a toxicology study yet,” helium said. “But this is conscionable what we are speculating, according to his girlfriend, who recovered him unresponsive.”

While connected the Today show, Rickey shared what happened erstwhile helium got the call. “I was successful Dallas astatine my apartment, getting acceptable to ticker the [NFL] playoff. His woman called. She said, ‘text Brandon astatine this fig oregon telephone him.’ So I called, cipher answered, I called her backmost and said, ‘is everything okay?’ She was crying. She said, successful her words, that helium had OD’d.” Rickey said that this enactment happed astatine 10, and determination was a formation leaving Dallas to Birmingham, Alabama – wherever Brandon lived – successful 2 hours. “I conscionable grabbed my backpack and jumped connected the plane.” However, arsenic Rickey was going “out the door” to the airport, helium got a telephone from Brandon’s younger sister, informing him that his lad had passed.

Rickey successful 2012 (John Shearer/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

Rickey utilized his quality connected the Today show to speech astir discussing substance maltreatment with those who whitethorn request help. ” “We person to person a conversation,” helium said. “I deliberation the parents are having the conversation. The occupation is getting the kids to perceive to these conversations.”

“We conscionable presume that if you’re successful a bully schoolhouse district, oregon you’re successful a gated community, oregon that everything is going good, that these kids are not doing drugs,” Rickey added. “You don’t person to beryllium successful the hood to succumb to cause abuse.”

“When it happens you tin ne'er beryllium prepared due to the fact that that’s your child,” helium concluded. “If thing makes maine cry, it’s God’s goodness to beryllium capable to get retired of the bed, to beryllium capable to  bash my greeting show, to beryllium capable to support the remainder of my kids.”

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with substance abuse, telephone the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline astatine 1-800-662-4357. 

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