Malcolm-Jamal Warner death: Co-stars, Hollywood reacts, new details released

The initial report said that bystanders on the beach rescued him, members of Costa Rica’s Red Cross said he had no vital signs and took him to the morgue, the AP reported.

His cause of death was asphyxiation by submersion, People magazine reported.

[ Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies at 54  ]

Warner portrayed Theo Huxtable, the only son of Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad’s Clair Huxtable, on the show that ran from 1984 to 1992.

After the show ended, he continued to act, starring in “Malcolm & Eddie” and “Read Between the Lines.” He also was a director, leading episodes of both those shows, as well as “The Cosby Show,” “All That” and “Kenan & Kel.”

“I grew up with a maniacal obsession with not wanting to be one of those ‘where are they now kids,’” Warner said in 2015. “I feel very blessed to be able to have all of these avenues of expression ... to be where I am now and finally at a place where I can let go of that worry about having a life after ‘Cosby.’”

A representative for Cosby, said finding out about Warner’s death, “reminded him of the same call he received when his son died.” Ennis Cosby was murdered in 1997, shot and killed during an attempted robbery in Los Angeles, People magazine reported.

“He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said ‘Malcolm was changing humanity,’” Bill Cosby’s representative told the publication.

He said that the actor spoke with Rashad after hearing the news, “reminiscing about Malcolm.”

Bill Cosby told CBS News that he and Warner had spoken about three months ago.

Warner in 2023 spoke about Bill Cosby’s legal trouble, serving several years in prison after being convicted in 2018 to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. His sexual assault conviction was overturned in 2021 and he was released. Bill Cosby, however, is being sued by five more women for sexual assault, claims the actor denies.

Warner said he was still proud of the work the actors did on the show and what it meant to so many.

“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,” he told People two years ago.

Geoffrey Owens, who joined the cast in the second season, released a statement to Deadline, which read, “This tragedy has almost left me speechless. Malcolm was a lovely man; a sweet and sensitive soul. I respected him for many reasons, including the fact that he genuinely loved the act of creation. He had the mind of an actor and the heart of a musician. He was generous, too. I did a theater project long ago and asked him to participate; and he was there for me. My heart goes out to his family.”

Viola Davis put into words Monday what many people may have been thinking after hearing the news.

“Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend. He was absolutely so familiar, and we rejoiced at how TV got it right!!”, she wrote on Instagram. “But Malcolm got it right ... we reveled in your life and are gutted by this loss.”

Tracee Ellis Ross, who starred opposite Warner on “Read Between The Lines” wrote on Instagram, “First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant.”

Questlove wrote on Instagram, “If you looked like me coming of age in the 80s, Malcom-as-Theo was a gps/lighthouse of navigating safety to adulthood. For those of us that didnt have “examples” or “safe environments”—I would like to think for anyone of age we used this entire show —and its offspring as life blueprints.”

Niecy Nash-Betts said she had “just spoke” with Warner.

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