Rob & Big star Christopher “Big Black” Boykin has passed away, E! News has learned. 

TMZ, who was first to break the news, reports the MTV personality died Tuesday morning at the age of 45. No other information was readily available. 

Big Black rose to fame as professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek‘s bodyguard on the wildly popular series, which ran for three seasons from 2006-2008. Their onscreen antics, which included breaking multiple Guinness world records, captivated viewers and led to the spin-off series, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory. 

Co-star and fellow MTV fixture Chanel West Coast confirmed the news on Twitter: “RIP @BigBlack. My heart is crushed. I’ll remember all the times you made me laugh and my prayers go out to your family.”

Boykin would go on to make multiple appearance on Factory Factory as well as other MTV programs including Ridiculousness, Guy Code and Snack Off. He also launched a plus-sized clothing lines called Big Man Network and Big Dime Pieces. 

The Mississippi native was recently in Los Angeles, and reflected on his Rob & Black days with a heartwarming tribute shared to Instagram just over a month ago. “Whenever I have dinner at Lemonade in Studio City, I always cross the street to a look at one of my accomplishments, ‘the Ventura Blvd walk of fame’ not bad for a fat black kid from Wiggins Ms….#godisgood #allthetime,” he captioned a photo of his and Dyrdek’s movie reel placard. 

Prior to his career in entertainment, Big Black served in the United States Navy. 

Boykin is survived by his 9-year-old daughter, Isis Rea Boykin. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones at this time.