Former NFL Wide Receiver Keyshawn Johnson shared some tragic news on Monday evening. Johnson told fans that he was mourning the death of his first-born child, Maia Johnson. While Johnson did not go into detail, the Super Bowl-winning wide receiver wrote that he and Maia's mother, Shikiri Hightower, were still wrapping their minds around what had happened.
"It is with incredible sadness that I have to share the news about the passing of my beautiful Daughter Maia. Maia, as my firstborn child, has been the joy of my, and her Mother Shikiri’s, life," he tweeted.
"She came into our lives just as we were both coming of age as adults and has been a constant beloved presence for both of us. We are heartbroken and devastated by her loss. Shikiri, Maia’s siblings, our family and me appreciate your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time."
Johnson is the oldest of two children that Hightower and Johnson had together. Hightower described the 25-year-old as "fearless" and "intelligent."
"Your dad and I proudly brought you into this world. I was 19, a sophomore at USC, your dad was 22, like you are today. We were so young, wanting nothing more than to be your parents. Four months later, your dad became the number one draft pick, our lives were forever changed," Hightower wrote in 2017.
"We went from inconspicuously driving you around campus in a beat-up used Honda to life in a fishbowl, all eyes on us, without us truly understanding what that meant. Our once private dysfunction was suddenly on blast, all of it playing out as folk’s entertainment. My fearless, beautiful, intelligent, well-traveled, resourceful daughter, my mini-me, throughout our journey, we literally have been growing up, figuring life out, together."
After learning of Johnson's passing, a number of individuals and groups have offered their condolences. The New York Jets, Super Bowl Champion Damien Woody, Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Steve Young, Rep. Jamaal Bowman and several others have offered their support for their family.
"Our thoughts are with Keyshawn and his family as they deal with this unthinkable tragedy. He has the full support of his ESPN family," Johnson's employer, ESPN, stated on Monday night.
Keyshawn Johnson will take an undisclosed absence from his work at ESPN during this time.
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