Rickey Smiley's son: Who was Brandon, and who are Ricky's other kids?
Rickey Smiley is a top American comedian, television host, and radio personality. He has been in the entertainment industry for over three decades and is best recognised for hosting The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. While many know much about his career, the same cannot be said about his personal life, especially those he calls family. Learn more about Rickey Smiley’s son, Brandon, and what happened to him.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Comedian Rickey Smiley has biological children he raised alongside other adopted kids as one big family. Rickey Smiley’s son, Brandon, admired his father's career and has shown interest in comedy and acting. However, he lost his life after a tragic incident in 2023, cutting short his dreams.
Profile summary
Full name | Broderick Dornell Smiley |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 10 August 1968 |
Age | 55 years old (as of May 2024) |
Zodiac sign | Leo |
Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States |
Current residence | Birmingham, Alabama, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in feet | 6' |
Height in centimetres | 183 |
Weight in pounds | 181 |
Weight in kilograms | 82 |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Dark brown |
Mother | Carolita Smiley Lester |
Father | James Smiley |
Siblings | 1 |
Relationship status | Single |
Children | 5 |
School | Woodlawn High School |
College | Alabama State University, Tuskegee University |
Profession | Comedian, actor, TV host, radio personality |
@rickeysmileyofficial | |
X (Twitter) | @RickeySmiley |
@RickeySmileyOfficial | |
YouTube | Rickey Smiley |
What happened to Rickey Smiley’s son, Brandon Smiley?
Brandon Smiley, the stand-up comedian’s eldest child, was born on 9 February 1990. Growing up, he had a promising entertainment career, following in his father’s footsteps as a comedian and actor.
What happened to Brandon Smiley? The aspiring actor struggled with substance addiction, and despite attempts by his parents to help him recover from the menace, he relapsed.
On 29 January 2023, Brandon reportedly died of fentanyl and ethanol toxicity, and an autopsy report released by the Jefferson County medical examiner disclosed that it was an accidental OD.
Who are Rickey Smiley’s other kids?
In an interview with The Real Daytime, the Friday After Next actor revealed that he is raising ten kids.
I have two biological kids, and the rest are adopted, mixed with nieces and nephews.
He added;
I just appreciate my sons for uh...opening up their hearts and their home and accepting other the kids but we have really pretty much raised between 12 and 15 children.
Below is more information about his two biological and three adopted kids.
1. D'Essence Elizabeth Smiley
D'Essence Elizabeth is the entertainer’s eldest adopted child. She was reportedly born in 1998 and is 26 years old as of 2024. She appeared in TV One’s reality show Rickey Smiley For Real. Her Instagram page shows she owns the online apparel store The Dessence Collection.
2. Malik Smiley
Malik is comedian Rickey Smiley's second biological child, born on 17 May 2001. He is 23 years old as of 2024. He completed his undergraduate studies at Alabama State University in December 2023.
Unlike his older brother, Brandon, who chose their father’s career path in entertainment, Malik has opted for sports. During college, he played basketball for the Alabama State Hornets as a guard.
3. Aaryn Smiley
Aaryn is Rickey Smiley’s second adopted daughter. She was born on 3 July 2001 and is 22 years old as of May 2024. She reportedly completed her undergraduate studies at Baylor University. Aary is a rising social media personality with a significant audience on her Instagram page.
What happened to Rickey Smiley's child? In July 2020, she was a victim of a road rage shooting. The comedian’s youngest daughter was shot at a traffic light while driving to Whataburger with her boyfriend. Her leg was seriously wounded, but she recovered after surgery.
4. Craig Smiley
Craig is Rickey’s only adopted son. Although he hails from a well-known family, he has maintained a low profile, and little is known about him. He shares his lifestyle and family pictures on his Instagram account.
Rickey Smiley’s grandchildren
How many grandkids do Rickey Smiley have? The comedian and TV personality has three grandchildren: Grayson, Storm, and Denver Elizabeth Owens. Storm is Brandon’s daughter and only child, born in August 2019, while Denver is D'Essence Elizabeth’s daughter, born on 7 December 2022. However, the parents of his grandson, Grayson, are unknown.
Why is Rickey Smiley raising his grandson? He has not disclosed the reason. However, the radio personality is known to be a nurturing person who has raised many of his relatives and even adopted kids. He revealed in the Tamron Hall Show that his grandkids helped him heal from his son’s demise.
FAQs
- How many biological kids does Ricky Smiley have? The radio personality has two biological kids.
- How many adopted kids does Rickey Smiley have? The comedian adopted three kids: D'Essence Elizabeth, Aaryn, and Craig.
- Who are Rickey Smiley’s sons? He has three sons, Brandon, Malik, and Craig Smiley.
- Why did Rickey Smiley's son pass away? His son, Brandon, reportedly died of substance abuse.
- How did Brandon Smiley die? An autopsy report after his demise revealed he had taken in excess fentanyl and ethanol.
- What happened to Rickey Smiley’s daughter? His daughter, Aaryn, was shot in July 2020. Even though she sustained a severe injury on her leg, she recovered.
- Does Rickey Smiley have grandkids? He has three grandchildren: Grayson, Storm, and Denver.
Like his father, Rickey Smiley's son, Brandon, was a promising talent in acting and comedy. However, he died of substance abuse in January 2023, survived by a daughter. Rickey has four other children and three grandchildren.
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Source: Legit.ng