Reality TV 'Rob & Big' star Christopher "Big Black" Boykin made everyone smile, laugh and say "do work, son" for over five seasons in new shows and reruns on MTV. In 2017, the loveable Boykin died. He was only 45 years old.
If you ever watched the MTV reality series, then you knew how unpredictably funny the show and he was.
The reality series follows professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and his bodyguard, Big Black. The two live together in the Hollywood Hills and hatch crazy plans. One week they decide to teach Meaty the bulldog to skateboard and another they buy a miniature horse that they plan to keep in their backyard. Full of practical jokes and funny stunts, Rob and Big are complete opposites who share with viewers their odd lives as best friends.
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'Rob & Big' quickly established a digital fanbase, becoming one of MTV's fastest and best-selling shows on iTunes. Season one was the second most downloaded MTV series on iTunes behind "The Hills." The first full season of Rob & Big reached over 70 million total viewers and ranked #1 in its time period among 12-34 year-olds.
Boykin had a defibrillator implant for his heart. In early May 2017, he was hospitalized in Plano, Texas, and was placed on a heart monitor. On May 9, his heart stopped and the hospital staff spent 30 minutes trying to revive him. Although initial reports did not mention an official cause of death, Boykin's heart failure was the result of a heart attack.
At 6'6" and 416 pounds, Christopher Boykin was known as "Big Black" -- "to state the obvious," he says. Born in Chicago, IL, but growing up in Mississippi, Big Black was a former U.S. Navy Serviceman and had over 10 years of Executive Protection experience. He was been embraced by the skateboarding community since teaming up with Rob and DC Shoes and was recognized everywhere he went. Much like Rob, Big Black also has an entrepreneurial spirit, creating his own clothing line and multiple other businesses.
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His skateboarder co-star and friend took to Instagram to express his grief over the loss of his best friend.
“My heart is broken. I don’t want to write this post. I don’t want to believe that this is reality. I am...
... so thankful for you. We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure. I just can’t fathom that it would end so suddenly. You will forever be in my heart,” he wrote.
He later added a photo of Big Black with his son Kodah, who was born last year.
“I am so thankful for this moment..thank you for being an amazing human being and brother,” Rob captioned the photo.
