Bill Cosby has shared emotional words about his on-screen son, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died Sunday (July 20) after drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica with his family. Warner was 54.
Speaking with ABC News, Cosby said of Warner, “He was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much.”
Warner played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a role loosely based on Cosby’s own son, Ennis, who was fatally shot in a failed robbery attempt in 1997. While the popular sitcom ended in 1992, Cosby revealed he and Warner remained in touch.
“Malcolm calls here regularly,” Cosby revealed, noting how he served as a mentor to Warner. “He was very professional. He always knew his part… He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go.”
Warner was swimming on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast when he was caught in a strong current. Beachgoers eventually pulled him out of the water, but it was too late. The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) later said in a statement obtained by People that they “removed the body of a man who apparently died as a result of asphyxiation by submersion.”
Bill Cosby, Malcolm-Jamal Warner; ©NBC / courtesy Everett
After news of the passing spread, Andrew Wyatt, a spokesperson for Cosby, told People that Warner’s death “reminded him of the same call he received when his son died.” He went on to call the events “devastating,” adding, “He found a way to talk about Malcolm even though he was sad.”
“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,’” Wyatt continued. “Malcolm was doing what he loved when he died — he was with his family.”
Cosby has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault by several women. He served three years in prison after he was convicted of sexual assault in 2018, but the conviction was later overturned on appeal. Cosby continues to maintain his innocence.
Speaking to People in February 2023, Warner shared his thoughts on how Cosby’s controversies have impacted the way some people remember The Cosby Show.
“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.