Last night, the world learned the tragic news that MTV star Christohper Boykin had passed away at the age of 45.
Better known to many fans as “Big Black” from his time on the series Rob & Big, Boykin was one of the network’s biggest stars at one point.
At the time of his passing, the exact cause of Chris’ death was unknown.
Now, People magazine is reporting that it was a heart attack that claimed Boykin’s life.
Once standing at 6’6″ 375 pounds, Chris had reportedly slimmed down tremendously in recent months.
Sadly, despite his increased focus on fitness, doctors were unable to save the beloved media personality’s life.
Boykin has been mourned by numerous celebrities on social media, most notably his former co-star, Dyrdek:
“My heart is broken,” the pro skateboarder wrote in a series of posts on Twitter.
“I don’t want 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.”
Last year, in an uncharacteristically candid interview, Dyrdek revealed that his friendship with Boykin had come to an end as a result of the pressures of fame and the pair’s dovetailing career trajectories:
“I think he didn’t want to be known for like the sidekick,” Dyrdek said. “So that created a lot of that tension between me and him.”
He added that while their reality series brought them fame and fortune neither had ever dreamed of, it also did irreparable damage to their longtime friendship:
“I think it was more the fundamental struggle of wanting to not be so connected to each other,” Dyrdek added.
“Ultimately, after we had a big blowout creatively over an idea … things were so tense at certain times — it’s funny now that I think about it — but we literally would film some of the funniest things that we have ever done and would be losing it and then walk away and not talk to each other.
The rift between the two talents brought Rob & Big to a premature end Dyrdek and Boykin seem to have somewhat patched things up in the months prior to Chris’ death, with Dyrdek recently posting a throwback photo of their time together on set.
Our thoughts go out to the Boykin family during this difficult time.
