Inside Kandi Burruss' Tragic Loss At The Age Of 15

Talented singer turned reality television star Kandi Burruss has lived a life only some can dream of. Still, that doesn't mean she hasn't weathered some hard days in her lifetime.

As you may recall, Kandi's ex-fiancé, Ashley Jewell (aka A.J.) was tragically killed on October 2, 2009 outside of a gentleman's club in Atlanta, Georgia. "It appears he was involved in an altercation in the parking lot and he received a severe blow to the head," Keith Meadows, a police lieutenant for Atlanta told WSB TV 2 about the incident (via People). Three days later, Kandi issued an official statement regarding Jewell's death. "I am devastated by the loss of AJ," she began. "His death comes on the heels of the passing of my beloved Uncle Ralph, and with both of them gone my heart is heavy with grief. I had spoken to AJ two hours before I got the call that he was in the hospital. Never in a thousand years did I think it was going to be the last time I heard his voice. He was taken way too soon. There are so many things that I should have said to him, wanted to say to him... But now it's too late."

Sadly, Kandi knows the sting of sudden loss and grief all too well as she suffered a similar tragedy when she was just 15 years old...

Television personality Kandi Burruss lost her older brother, Patrick Riley, in a tragic car accident.

"It was devastating to me," Kandi recalled about the horrific incident during an episode of Bravo's "Xscape Still Kickin' It." Kandi added, "He got along with everybody, and even when there was drama, he was able to get us all on the same page. If my brother had not passed away, we probably would have lasted longer as a group than we did," she lamented.

According to Kandi, losing her brother at such a young age also resulted in her experiencing a bout of depression and even thoughts of suicide. "I think as I got in high school is when I started finding myself and I also lost my brother... So it was still dealing with a bout of depression and pushing through," she confessed in August 2021 during an episode of her YouTube series "Speak on It".

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Following Patrick Riley's tragic death in 1991, Kandi Burruss and her family — including her mother Joyce Jones (aka Mama Joyce) –celebrate his birthday every year.

In October 2021, Kandi wished her late big brother a happy birthday on her social media. "While everybody was upset about IG being down, I was celebrating my brother with my mom at his grave site [sic]. I can't believe he's been gone 30 years. I still miss him! The best big brother ever! Happy Birthday Patrick!" she penned in a celebratory albeit sentimental Instagram post along with various throwback pictures of Patrick, his gravestone, and present-day photos of the family embracing one another warmly while gathered around his gravesite. 

RIP Patrick Riley. May his memory never be forgotten and continue to live on through the lives of Kandi and the rest of his family.