‘Big Black’ Boykin’s Ex-Wife Says He Was Hospitalized for Days, Had Serious Heart Issues

Christopher “Big Black” Boykin‘s heart was basically a ticking time bomb, and he died of a heart condition that’s long plagued his mother’s side of the family … TMZ has learned. He was in terrible condition for days before his death — so bad, in fact, doctors feared he’d eventually need a heart transplant.

Chris’ ex-wife, Shannon Turley, tells us Chris was hospitalized in Plano, TX, for several days while doctors monitored his heart. He’d been struggling with heart issues, and already had a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

She says doctors tried to resuscitate Chris for 30 minutes when his heart gave out on Tuesday. He died at 4 p.m. 

Shannon says Chris was not on the transplant list yet, but doctors said he was heading in that direction.

Shannon and Chris have a 9-year-old daughter, Isis. Although they divorced in 2009, she says Chris had been living with her in Texas due to his declining health.

We spoke with two of Big Black’s family members … his Uncle Jerry, who appeared on a few episodes of Rob & Big, and his niece, Brittany Williams. They say congestive heart failure caused his death, and it’s a condition he first found out about in 2000.

Jerry and Brittany say the disease also killed Black’s mother, uncle, and both of his grandparents back in Mississippi. They told us Black paid ’em a visit down south in 2007, and even then he knew his condition was worsening.

Chris was planning to bring his daughter, Isis, to Mississippi this summer … according to Jerry. It would’ve been the first time much of his family got to meet the 9-year-old.

Uncle Jerry says it’s more important than ever to make that happen now.

As we reported, Boykin’s death shook his Rob & Big co-star and friend Rob Dyrdek, who wrote, “My heart is broken. I don’t want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you.”

TMZ