Who Is Isis Rae Boykin? The Remarkable Life Story of “Big Black’s” Only Daughter
Isis Rae Boykin is best known to the public as the daughter of Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, the towering, good natured reality television star who won over millions of MTV viewers on Rob & Big. She was born in February 2008, during the height of her father’s fame, and she was only nine years old when he passed away in May 2017. Since then, her mother has kept her life almost entirely out of the spotlight, so very little verified information about Isis herself exists online. What is well documented, however, is the extraordinary life of the man whose legacy she carries forward: a former Navy sailor turned bodyguard turned bona fide television icon who built a career on humor, loyalty, and heart. This article tells his story in full, along with everything that is genuinely known about the daughter he left behind.
Christopher “Big Black” Boykin: Quick Bio Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Christopher Boykin |
| Nicknames | Big Black, Big B, BB, Chris |
| Born | January 13, 1972, Chicago, Illinois |
| Raised In | Raleigh and Wiggins, Mississippi |
| Died | May 9, 2017, Plano, Texas (age 45) |
| Cause of Death | Heart failure |
| Education | Stone High School, Wiggins, Mississippi (graduated 1990) |
| Military Service | United States Navy |
| Best Known For | MTV’s Rob & Big (2006 to 2008) |
| Other TV Credits | Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, Ridiculousness |
| Occupation | Television personality, entrepreneur, musician |
| Business Ventures | Big Black clothing brand (BB / Do Work) |
| Spouse | Shannon Turley (married 2008, divorced 2009) |
| Daughter | Isis Rae Boykin (born February 15, 2008) |
| Notable Records | Guinness World Records for competitive doughnut and banana eating |
| Resting Place | Ridgeview Memorial Park, Allen, Texas |
Who Is Isis Rae Boykin?
Isis Rae Boykin is the only child of Christopher Boykin and his ex wife, Shannon Turley. She was born on February 15, 2008, and her parents divorced not long after her birth, though they remained closely involved in her upbringing. Reporting from the time of her father’s death in 2017 confirms she was nine years old when he passed, and outlets like CBS News and the Stone County Enterprise reported that in his final year, Christopher moved back in with Turley so the two of them could raise Isis together while he managed his declining health.
Beyond these confirmed facts, Isis Rae Boykin has not stepped into public life. She has no verified social media presence, no confirmed school or career details, and no public interviews on record. That absence is not an accident. Her mother has intentionally shielded her from media attention, a choice that reporters and family friends have consistently respected in the years since Christopher’s death. Readers searching for a detailed biography of Isis herself will find mostly speculation online rather than fact, which is precisely why her father’s own story, one of the best documented in reality television history, offers the clearest and most honest window into her family’s legacy.
Early Life in Chicago and Mississippi
Christopher Boykin was born on January 13, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois, to his mother, Hattie Mae Boykin, and his father, Robert Jones, who never married. He later moved to Mississippi, where he grew up in the small town of Raleigh before the family settled in Wiggins. Standing six feet six inches tall by the time he reached high school, Boykin was hard to miss among his classmates at Stone High School, where he graduated in 1990. According to a retrospective published by the Stone County Enterprise, he was a serious, quiet young man with big ambitions that few people around him fully understood at the time.
After high school, Boykin enlisted in the United States Navy, a chapter of his life that instilled the discipline and work ethic his friends would later describe as central to his personality. Following his military service, he moved into security work, eventually relocating to California, where an unexpected opportunity would change the course of his life entirely.
From Bodyguard to Breakout Television Star
Boykin’s entrance into entertainment happened almost by accident. Professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek hired him to work as a bodyguard for a DC Shoes skit after growing tired of being hassled by security guards and police while filming skate stunts in public. The two men hit it off immediately, and their easy, comedic chemistry caught the attention of MTV executives. That partnership became the foundation of Rob & Big, which premiered on November 2, 2006.
The series followed Dyrdek and Boykin as they shared a home in the Hollywood Hills and got into all kinds of good natured trouble together, from adopting a miniature horse named Mini Horse and a bulldog named Meaty to attempting outrageous Guinness World Records. Boykin set two of his own during the show’s run: the record for eating the most powdered doughnuts in under three minutes and the record for peeling and eating the most bananas in one minute. The show became one of MTV’s most popular original series of its era, drawing in millions of viewers who loved the odd couple dynamic between the high energy Dyrdek and the laid back, quick witted Boykin.
Rob & Big ran for three seasons before concluding in April 2008. The final episode, fittingly titled “Baby,” saw Boykin break the news to Dyrdek that he was expecting a child. Boykin left the show and Dyrdek’s household to focus on his growing family, a decision that reporters at the time framed as the natural end of an era for the series.
Fatherhood, Fantasy Factory, and a Growing Legacy
Boykin became a father in February 2008, when Isis Rae was born. He married Shannon Turley that same year, though the couple divorced in 2009. Despite the split, the two remained committed co parents, and friends and family often noted how present Boykin stayed in his daughter’s daily life. He nicknamed her “Icey,” and he was known for proudly sharing small, everyday moments with her, from school events to simple afternoons at home.
Professionally, Boykin stepped away from the spotlight for a few years to focus on fatherhood and to build his own clothing brand, Big Black, which he later relaunched in 2010 alongside business partner Nino Jones. In 2011, he reconciled with Dyrdek and returned to MTV in a starring role on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, a spinoff that continued through 2015. He also made guest appearances on Dyrdek’s later hit series, Ridiculousness, keeping him connected to the audience that had first fallen in love with him nearly a decade earlier.
Throughout this period, Boykin balanced his television career with his role as a father. According to people close to the family, he made a point of prioritizing his daughter over the trappings of celebrity, rarely spending lavishly on himself and instead putting money toward her future, including a college fund that TMZ reported on shortly after his death.
Health Struggles and Final Years
Behind his easygoing on screen persona, Boykin faced serious health challenges related to a family history of heart disease. He had a defibrillator implanted in his chest as his condition progressed, and by 2016, doctors delivered devastating news: his heart was failing, and he would likely need a transplant. Rather than face that battle alone, Boykin called his ex wife and asked her to move back in with him so they could raise Isis together during whatever time he had left. Turley later described those final months as filled with ordinary, precious routines, with Boykin picking Isis up from school and having dinner ready before Turley returned home from work each evening.
On May 9, 2017, Christopher Boykin died of heart failure at a hospital in Plano, Texas, at the age of 45. He had been hospitalized for several days as doctors monitored his condition before he suffered cardiac arrest. News of his passing spread quickly, with tributes pouring in from MTV, Rob Dyrdek, and fans around the world who had grown up watching him on television.
Remembering “Big Black”
MTV released a statement calling Boykin a longtime and beloved member of its family, and outlets including the New York Times, Variety, and People covered his death as the loss of a genuine television icon. Dyrdek, who had experienced a well documented falling out with Boykin in the years after Rob & Big ended, publicly mourned his former best friend and reflected on the bond the two had shared. Fans continue to remember Boykin not just for his size or his humor, but for the authenticity he brought to the screen, a quality that made him feel like a real friend to millions of viewers rather than a distant celebrity.
Boykin is interred at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. His clothing brand, his Guinness World Records, and his unmistakable presence on Rob & Big and Fantasy Factory remain the touchstones of a career that, while relatively brief, left a lasting mark on reality television.
Isis Rae Boykin Today
Now an adult, Isis Rae Boykin has continued to live the private life her mother worked so hard to protect for her throughout her childhood. She has not pursued a public career, and there is no confirmed information about her current occupation, education, or personal life available from credible sources. This privacy appears to be entirely intentional, and it stands as a quiet continuation of the same protective instincts her parents showed her from the very beginning, when they balanced her father’s growing fame with a genuine effort to give her a normal, grounded childhood.
What remains clear is the bond Christopher Boykin shared with his daughter. Friends, family, and even casual observers who followed his career consistently described him as a devoted father who structured his choices, professional and personal, around giving Isis a stable and loving home. That legacy, more than any headline, is what continues to define her story today.
Conclusion
Isis Rae Boykin’s story is inseparable from that of her father, a Navy veteran turned television favorite whose warmth, humor, and devotion to his daughter left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. While Isis herself has chosen a life away from public attention, the legacy of Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, as both an entertainer and a father, continues to resonate with fans more than two decades after Rob & Big first premiered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Isis Rae Boykin?
Isis Rae Boykin is the only daughter of the late MTV star Christopher “Big Black” Boykin and his ex wife, Shannon Turley. She was born on February 15, 2008, and has lived a private life since her father’s death in 2017.
How old was Isis when her father died?
Isis Rae Boykin was nine years old when Christopher Boykin passed away on May 9, 2017, following heart failure at a hospital in Plano, Texas.
Who was Isis Rae Boykin’s mother?
Her mother is Shannon Turley, who was married to Christopher Boykin from 2008 to 2009. The two remained closely involved co parents, and Turley took on full time care of Isis after Christopher’s passing.
What was Christopher Boykin famous for?
Christopher Boykin rose to fame as Rob Dyrdek’s best friend and bodyguard on MTV’s Rob & Big, which aired from 2006 to 2008. He later returned to television on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory and appeared on Ridiculousness.
Is Isis Rae Boykin active on social media?
No verified public social media accounts have been linked to Isis Rae Boykin. She and her family have chosen to keep her personal and professional life private.
