Inside Big Black's Final Years: His Relationship With Rob Dyrdek, His Daughter and the Fans

Throughout his life, Christopher "Big Black" Boykin wanted to laugh and make people laugh

By Corinne Heller May 10, 2017 6:14 PMTags

Throughout his life, Christopher "Big Black" Boykin wanted to laugh and make people laugh.

The former star of MTV's Rob & Big died Tuesday at age 45 after suffering a heart attack, his rep had confirmed to E! News. He is survived by a 9-year-old daughterIsis, whose mother is his ex-wife Shannon Turley.

Rob & Big saw Big Black and pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek attempt Guinness World Records, play practical jokes and just have fun together. The series aired for three seasons until 2008.

Dyrdek went on to host Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness on MTV. Big Black appeared on both shows.

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Years later, it was revealed the two had had a falling out. Speaking to Louisiana radio station 107 Jamz in 2016, Big Black said Dyrdek has a "total ego problem" and that he was treated like a "sidekick."

"As long as I was playing that slave role on Rob & Big, everything was cool," he said. "When n---a got big, got a little money in his pocket, that added to his change."

In 2016, Dyrdek said on the show In Depth With Graham Bensinger he thinks Big Black had a more difficult time handling fame and that he thinks they both struggled with the idea of being known solely for Rob & Big.

"I think he didn't want to be known for like, the sidekick, right, so that created a lot of that tension between me and him," he said, adding, "I think it was more the fundamental struggle of wanting to not be so connected to each other and ultimately, after we had a big blowout creatively over like, an idea, 'cause he knows I was writing all the ideas and then he was going at me by saying, 'This idea's wack!' Things were so tense at certain times...we literally would film some of the funniest things that we have ever done and like, be losing it, and then walk away, not talking to each other.""

Dyrdek paid tribute to Big Black after his death.

"We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure. I just can't fathom that it would end so suddenly," he wrote on Twitter. "You will forever be in my heart."

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In recent years, Big Black has concentrated on his plus-size clothing line and has made sporadic TV appearances, appearing as a judge in Hooters' 2012 International Swimsuit Pageant and competing in MTV's cooking competition show Snack Off.

He also spoke about his reality show experiences at colleges. In 2016, he Big Black made a guest appearance at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he talked about Rob & Big. He recalled how the show was initially called Rob & Big Black, but that MTV's president at the time did not like the idea.

"She said, 'I got a problem with 'Rob & Big Black,' the name. I don't think everybody is going to be able to understand that considering the climate that we're in now,'" Big Black said, according to the Eagle News. "Rob laughed. Instantly, I got offended."

He also concentrated on spending time with family. A proud dad, Big Black has posted several public photos of his daughter Isis on social media, most recently in April, when he took her to her first concert—to see Jacob Sartorius.

"Took my daughter to her first concert a special thanks to @jacobsartorius & his tour manager's,saved my ass this evening," he wrote on Instagram. "I told my daughter & her best friend that they were going to meet him but I had no clue how with your daughter you better keep your word cause she will remember forever..#daddysbegoodtoyourdaughters."

 His little girl made her TV debut on Rob & Black in 2008 when she was two months old. Big Black and her mother called it quits the following year.

This past February, Big Black appeared as a guest on fellow Rob & Big star Chris "Drama" Pfaff's podcast Short Story Long and talked fondly about his daughter, who celebrated a birthday a week after the episode was posted.

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"She is eight years old and giving me hell," he said. "She's very brutally honest. A couple of days ago, eh made me self-conscious about my ear hair. We're sitting there watching TV and she keeps looking at me from the side and I'm just like, 'What?' She's like, 'Daddy, do they have hair salons for ears?'"

"The next day...she's looking at me, she's like, '665, 700, 750...' I was like, 'Why are you throwing numbers out there?' 'That's how many ear hairs I just counted,'" he continued.

He said he then went to a drug store, bought some Nair hair removal and spread it all over his ears. 

"I said, 'You know what? How about that? Count how many ear hairs now,'" he said.

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Big Black also talked about his weight loss over the past few years. The 6'6" star said he weighed 416 years ago and slimmed down to the mid-300s and wants to get to 290.

He also talked about his future plans.

"Everybody wants me to come back to TV," he said. "Instead of making people laugh on television, I'd like to do radio."

He said he would like to host or co-host his own how where he could talk about "everything" and "just laugh."

last night's guest Wave member @bigblack1972 (Big Black) #RoastBattle #TheWave

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Big Black continued to make fans laugh all the way until the final months of his life. In late March, Big Black appeared as a celebrity guest at a Roast Battle show at the World Famous Comedy Store club in Los Angeles, a lively and unconventional regular staple starring Jeff Ross that spurred a Comedy Central series.

"Thanks to all the comics that let big black do his thang tonight. I will always respect the craft of comedy" he wrote on Instagram. "I will always respect the craft of comedy this s--t ain't no joke."

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