HOME / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Who are Keyshawn Johnson's children? A look at Keyshawn Jr, London and Shyla Joy after tragic death of Maia at 25

The NFL wide receiver told followers that his eldest child, daughter Maia, from his first marriage, had died

Keyshawn Johnson is mourning the tragic death of his daughter, Maia Hightower-Johnson, who has died at age 25. The former NFL wide receiver, who was in the league for eleven seasons, shared the tragic news with his followers on Monday, March 15. No cause of death was given.

Maia was the daughter of Johnson's first wife Shikiri Hightower, who he was married to from 1998 to 2002. The couple brought Maia into the world in 1995. Johnson is currently married to Jennifer Conrad, with whom he has two young children London and Vance Johnson. Here's what's to know about the ex-New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers star's children.

RELATED ARTICLES

Who is Keyshawn Johnson's wife Jennifer Conrad? How NFL star's rocky marriage survived divorce threat

Who is Shikiri Hightower? The tragic story of divorce with Keyshawn Johnson and daughter Maia Johnson's death

Maia Hightower-Johnson

"It is with incredible sadness that I have to share the news about the passing of my beautiful Daughter Maia," Keyshawn tweeted about Maia. He called his first-born child "the joy" of his life. In a follow-up post, he added, "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."

The athlete concluded his message in a third tweet, "We also all appreciate your support and respect for our privacy as we move forward. Thank you all, God Bless."

In December 2017, Shikiri Hightower took to Instagram to celebrate Maia's 22nd birthday and recounted how her daughter was born just four months before Johnson was selected as the "Number 1" overall in the 1996 NFL draft by the New York Jets.

"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," Hightower said in the post. "My fearless, beautiful, intelligent, well-traveled, resourceful daughter, my mini-me, throughout our journey, we literally have been growing up, figuring life out, together." 

Keyshawn Johnson Jr

Keyshawn Johnson Jr. is the second child of Shikiri and Johnson. He lives in Calabasas, California. He initially followed in his father's footsteps to enroll as a wide receiver for the Arizona Wildcats. His Twitter bio currently reads, "University of Arizona | OX".

He is also listed in the university’s phonebook as a pre-business major in the Eller College of Management.

His LinkedIn profile states that had decided to "just be a student and major in Computer Science with minor in Sports Management". He wrote in an Instagram post: "Mike never tried to rap like Pac, Pac never tried to sing like Mike. Those my dad's words to me when I asked him how to make it in life." 

Johnson Jr. was a four-star wide receiver coming out of high school, but his time at Nebraska was a bit turbulent. His father pulled his son from the team in June 2017, after the younger Johnson was cited for marijuana possession. He was found to have 4.5 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his dorm room according to reports. 

London Johnson

London Johnson, who around 10 years old, is already doing photoshoots. All of four feet and five inches, London's 'Baking/modeling/dance account' is managed by her mother, Jennifer Conrad, Johnson's second wife. 

The Instagram profile boasts of a DIY smoothie bowl, thin mint frappuccino and vegan melt recipes. She won a Music Video Workshop award after she took dancing lessons.

Vance Johnson/Shyla Joy

Although many reports call Johnson's youngest child "Vance", the NFL start himself referred to her as Shyla Joy in a Twitter post, which said simply, "Welcome to the world, Shyla Joy". The child was born on June 7, 2020. She is the second child Johnson has with his current wife Jennifer Conrad.