July 22, 2025
Bill Cosby is mourning the sudden loss of his former “Cosby Show” co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Bill Cosby is mourning the “devastating” death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who rose to fame playing his son Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show.
After news broke of Warner’s accidental drowning while vacationing in Costa Rica, Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, revealed that the comedian’s reaction “reminded him of the same call he received when his son died,” People reports. Cosby’s only son, Ennis William Cosby, was murdered during a botched robbery in 1997.
Ennis, according to Wyatt, used to “play with Malcolm” when they were younger, and called Warner’s death “devastating.”
“He found a way to talk about Malcolm even though he was sad,” Wyatt said of Cosby. “…They spoke all the time. He said, ‘Malcolm was changing humanity.’”
Wyatt shared that Warner’s death has deeply affected the cast of The Cosby Show, with Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, who played Jamal-Warner’s TV mom, connecting by phone to reminisce about the late actor. The former co-stars spent time “embracing each other over the phone about a dearly beloved friend,” Cosby told CBS News’ Jericka Duncan in a phone interview.
“He was never afraid to go to his room and study. He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of a being a teenager,” Cosby added, noting that he last spoke to Warner “three months ago.”
Their last conversation centered around Warner’s Art in Motion concert alongside the Minnesota Orchestra, which Cosby noted was “something [Warner] was very proud of.”
Warner never publicly defended Cosby amid the sexual assault and misconduct allegations that have tarnished his reputation. Still, he consistently stood by The Cosby Show’s legacy, praising its lasting impact on both the Black community and American culture.
“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on—first and foremost, Black culture—but also American culture,” Warner said in 2023.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 54, drowned while swimming in Limon, Costa Rica, on July 20, authorities confirmed. He left behind his wife and daughter, whose identities he chose to keep private.
RELATED CONTENT: Elevating Your Excellence: Fawn Weaver’s Entrepreneurial Vision Forges A Legacy Beyond Whiskey
