Hollywood is in shock after the former The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner died on Sunday in an accidental drowning. He was 54 years-old.
Warner Dies At 54
A source confirmed Warner’s death to People Magazine. The insider revealed that Warner was on vacation in Costa Rica with his family when he died while swimming. Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, who was born in 2017. He was an extremely private person and never revealed the name of his spouse or child to the public.
Warner was a former child star who was best known for playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. He starred in the sitcom from 1984 until 1992. Warner was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986 for his work on the show. He was only 16 years-old at the time.
Decades later, The Cosby Show star Bill Cosby was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of women. Despite this, Warner always stood by the show and its legacy.
“I can understand why some people can’t watch the show and enjoy it because of everything that’s going on now,” Warner told The New York Post in 2021. “But I think…there’s a generation of young people who have pursued higher education or have started loving families because of the influence of that show.”
“So it’s kind of like, you can’t discount its impact on television culture and American culture,” he added.
Related: Bill Cosby Ruled Liable For Assaulting 16-Year-Old Girl At Playboy Mansion
Warner Doubles Down
Warner doubled down on this sentiment in a 2023 interview.
“I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of,” he stated. “We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing from each other.”
“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 continued.
Cosby, 88, was convicted of sexual assault in 2018. Though that conviction was overturned in 2021, he has since been accused of sexually assaulting five more women.
After The Cosby Show ended, Warner starred with Eddie Griffin in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie from 1996 to 2000. Warner was also known for playing Alex Reed on Reed Between the Lines. He appeared in this show alongside the Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross from 2011 until 2015.
In recent years, Warner starred in Major Crimes as Chuck Cooper, as Julius Rowe in Suits and as AJ Austin in The Resident. His most recent credits were guest spots in 9-1-1 and Alert: Missing Persons Unit.
Related: Rosie O’Donnell Slams Whoopi Goldberg – Claims She Refused To Discuss Bill Cosby On ‘The View’
Warner’s Mental Health Podcast
In June of last year, Warner launched his podcast Not All Hood. The goal of this podcast was to break down barriers to mental health in the Black community.
“It’s been an interesting experience for me. Because it’s a place where I feel safe enough to be able to be as vulnerable as I allow myself to be,” Warner said in 2024.
“When we talk about the Black community, we tend to speak of it as a monolith when the reality is there are so many different facets of the Black community and we wanted to have a space where we can really explore, discuss, and acknowledge all of those different aspects,” he concluded.
Rest in peace, Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
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