Rickey Smiley is opening up about one of the most painful chapters of his life.

In the latest episode of “Uncensored,” the comedian and radio personality spoke candidly about the loss of his son, Brandon Smiley, reflecting on grief, guilt, parenting, and the choices that shaped his family’s pain. Brandon died in 2023 due to an apparent drug overdose after a years-long battle with addiction.

“I have absolutely no regret. I have not lost a night of sleep over regret cause I did everything I could for my son,” Smiley said in the clip. “I did the best that I could for my son, and our time away from each other was a good thing or whatever because it had gotten toxic, you know.” He explained that although he now understands the seriousness of Brandon’s illness after the fact, he could not have forced a different outcome. “Me protecting my peace because I have other kids that I have to protect. I could not have done anything to save it,” he said. “He was sick. I didn’t understand the sickness.”

Smiley also pushed back against any idea that his absence amounted to abandonment. In the interview, he said that if Brandon needed him, he would have shown up. “Any of those days [he] said, ‘Dad, you know, I want to go back into rehab,’ I have just had to go and do a couple of shows and get back on stage to make sure that that happened for him,” he said. He added that he made sure Brandon had a foundation, saying, “I took Brandon to church every Sunday. Brandon went and got baptized before he died.”

Smiley turned his grief into a warning for young people and a reminder that accountability matters. “Brandon didn’t have to die. My dad didn’t have to die,” he said. “They did not have to die.” He went on to tell teens and young adults to think carefully before making destructive decisions, adding, “I want you to put yourself in a casket and see if you can look through the crack of that casket and look at your mom and dad sitting on that front row and what you’re putting them through.”

Still, even in the middle of that pain, Smiley pointed to purpose. “Some have to die so others can live,” he said. “If Brandon’s death brought any type of awareness to save anybody's life, then I give God the glory for that.”