Atlanta Radio Host Rickey Smiley Learns He Has 5-Year-Old Twin Daughters 1 Year After Son's Death

Atlanta radio host Rickey Smiley learned he is the father of 5-year-old twin girls nearly a year after the death of his adult son.

The announcement was made on the Smitty and Dee podcast, where Rickey, 56, said he received the shocking news in January 2024. This news came nearly one year after his 32-year-old son, Brandon Smiley, died from a drug overdose in January 2023, according to AL.com.

Rickey recalled the moment he got the phone call in January 2024 from an ex-girlfriend, who he is still friends with, about being the father to her twin daughters.

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The radio host said his ex had gone to court with one of her ex-boyfriends, where she learned the twins belonged to Rickey.

Rickey claimed he even knew his twin daughters for their entire lives before learning they were his biological children. “Me and her have joked about this,” he said on the podcast, referencing his ex. “I don’t run away from being a father, and she’s not the type of mom who would keep a child from a dad.”

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Though surprising, Rickey said learning he had young twin girls was a very special moment for him, especially as he mourned the loss of his adult son. “When I tell you, that’s the first time I saw the sun again during that dark hour. The sun came back out,” he explained.

Rickey said he then surprised his family with the news while holding a memorial dinner for Brandon, and even brought out his daughters. “They lost it,” Smiley said, recalling the moment his family realized he had not one long-lost daughter, but two.

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Now, Rickey sees himself in his twins. “One of them looks like me when I was 5, and the other one has my personality,” he explained on the podcast.

The radio host said they are already “one big happy family” after adding the twins to the mix, too. “At the end of the day, God is still good because it could have been worse, and that is a good perspective to live off of,” Rickey said.

He added, “And you gave me some twins, not to replace Brandon, but here you go! Here’s some joy.”

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