Hollywood is in mourning following the tragic death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
On July 21, 2025, news broke that The Cosby Show alum died in Costa Rica. He was 54.
Warner skyrocketed to fame when he landed the role of Theodore Huxtable on NBC’s sitcom. While playing the fan-favorite character from 1984 to 1992, the actor scored a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Emmy Awards.
Away from the small screen, Warner briefly dated his Cosby Show costar Michelle Thomas and was linked to Regina King before marrying his wife, whose identity he chose not to publicly disclose.
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The couple privately welcomed a daughter, who was growing up away from the spotlight and social media.
As family and friends continue mourning his loss in private, keep reading to learn more about Warner’s tragic death.
When Did Malcolm-Jamal Warner Die?
Warner drowned near Cocles, a beach in Limón, Costa Rica on July 20, 2025, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department also shared with Us that the events occurred between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Playa Grande de Cocles area of Puerto Viejo de Limón.
Us later confirmed on July 23 that Warner’s body was released from the Judicial Morgue.
What Is Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Cause of Death?
Costa Rican National Police revealed to ABC News that Warner’s official cause of death was asphyxia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, asphyxia occurs when one doesn’t get enough oxygen in their body.
What Happened on the Day Malcolm-Jamal Warner Died?
Mike Geist, a lifeguard instructor and vice president of Caribbean Guard, spoke exclusively to Us about what happened on the day Warner died.
The actor had surf lessons with a group scheduled for earlier in the day, Geist recalled. Some of them “decided to get back in the water” after the lesson, and three people were later seen in “distress” in the water.
“The three of them were able to get out with some help,” Geist shared. “Another person that was on the beach with a boogie board went out to go and look for Malcolm because they learned there was a fourth person.”
One of the people who went to search for Warner was a doctor, who ended up finding the actor submerged in water. The doctor pulled out Warner and unsuccessfully administered CPR.
There were conflicting reports regarding whether Warner was attempting to rescue his daughter when he drowned.
On July 24, 2025, the Regional Subdelegation of Bribri of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) claimed that Warner was “playing with his daughter at the shoreline” prior to his drowning.
“He later left her out of the water and supposedly entered the sea along with a friend,” the agency said. “It was at that moment that the current pulled them in; the friend managed to get out, but unfortunately, Mr. Warner did not.”
According to the OIJ, Warner was “pulled from the water by several people who were on the beach” and received immediate medical attention from Red Cross personnel. However, he was declared “dead at the scene.”
Elberth León, chief of the Tourist Police of the Atlantic Region, contested the OIJ’s statement in an exclusive interview with Us.
“I don’t know why the OIJ is saying that, since they weren’t present at the scene,” León said. “They interviewed Malcolm’s family, but they also weren’t there at the time of the accident.”
León told Us that both Warner and his daughter were in the water when they were “dragged by the current.”
“They were bathing together and were caught by a rip current,” he said. “Obviously, as a father, he fought for his daughter, but the current in that area is very strong, and they couldn’t accomplish the objective.”
León continued, “Two people who were there at the location went in with a surfboard and a boogie board to help rescue the people who were caught in the current. They managed to stay with the girl, managed to get her onto the board, but due to the strength of the current, one of them, from Nicaragua, had to let go of the board and push it toward the shore so the girl could make it to land or the coast.”
“I feel the OIJ failed to interview the police and the Red Cross, and those are crucial interviews that should be part of any investigation,” he added. “But sometimes, for all kinds of reasons, they don’t do them.”
OIJ journalist Pablo Alvarado told Us that the agency’s officers conducted interviews with police, eyewitnesses and members of the Red Cross who were at the scene, noting that their report reflects “the hypothesis currently being considered regarding how the events may have occurred.”
How Did Malcolm-Jamal Warner Drown?
According to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department, a preliminary investigation revealed that the victim “appeared to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current.”
After the man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. Ultimately, he was declared dead at the scene.
Caribbean Guard, the volunteer lifeguard association at Playa Grande beach later claimed they were “not present” at the time of Warner’s death due to a lack of “resources.” We do everything within our reach. We have saved numerous lives in recent years, and if Caribbean Guard didn’t exist, the number of drownings would be counted in dozens. We give everything we have to minimize the risks, but without help from the government, clear public policies, and strong support from local business owners, this will continue to happen,” they alleged in a July 21 statement via Facebook.
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What Are the ‘Conditions’ of the Beach Where Malcolm-Jamal Warner Drowned?
Roger Sanz, President of the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce of the Southern Caribbean, shared in a statement to Us that the beach where Warner died is “very large” and “well known among surfers.”
“It has strong currents and generates many waves, making it a highly active area,” Sanz said.
While Sanz said many hotel and vacation rental operators inform their guests about the beach conditions, “unfortunately, not all of them do.”
“That’s where problems arise, when people come and don’t know about the currents or sea conditions,” Sanz shared. “That can lead to fatalities and tragedies like the one that occurred this past Sunday, when the American actor drowned. … Accidents can happen — and this time, it happened to us.”
The Caribbean Guard later echoed Sanz’s comments, sharing that Playa Grande, one of their most “challenging beaches,” is known by “local surfers” for it’s “strong currents.” They noted that there are signs in both Spanish and English “warning of the danger of death due to drowning.”
Was Malcolm-Jamal Warner the Only Casualty?
The Costa Rica Red Cross confirmed to Us on July 21 that emergency personnel attended to two adult male patients at the scene. As of this publishing, a 35-year-old man who hasn’t been identified was transported in critical condition to the local clinic and his current condition is unknown, while CPR was performed on Warner, who was declared dead at the scene.
Who Is Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Wife?
In a May 2025 episode of the “Hot & Bothered” podcast, Warner shared a rare glimpse into his love story with his wife. (The actor never publicly revealed her name, likely for privacy reasons.)
“I was just really honest and frank and candid about everything,” he said when recalling his first date that was made possible by a mutual friend. “I wasn’t trying to smash.”
While he initially told his future wife that he didn’t want kids, everything changed five and a half months after meeting.
“I said, ‘What do you think about starting a family?’” he recalled. “At some point during this time, if I’m going to have a kid, this is the person I would like to have it with.”
Warner said he never second-guessed his decision and the couple welcomed a child whose name has yet to be revealed.
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Malcolm-Jamal’s widow, Tenisha Warner, revealed her identity more than one month after her husband’s death, taking to Instagram on September 12, 2025, with a photo from their wedding day in 2017.
“Thank you for holding us in so much love during this tender time,” Tenisha captioned the post. “Tomorrow marks our anniversary — and my heart is wide open. For the first time, I’m sharing a glimpse of the love that began it all.”
She continued, “I can still hear my husband’s laugh, still feel the way he made room for every part of me — every tear, every dream. Today, in his honor, my daughter and I are launching River & Ember and officially opening The Warner Family Foundation.”
Tenisha concluded, “Together we carry the legacy my husband and I began — one that nurtures children’s inner light and gives young artists the freedom to create outside the lines. This is love, Still moving. Still making. Still carrying us forward.”
Tenisha also included a lengthy statement about River & Ember in the post.
“River & Ember was born not only from my knowledge as a doctor of psychology, but from my own journey with grief and love,” the statement read. “It’s about creating rituals that outlast us — the kind that our children will carry as a legacy.”
She continued, “River & Ember began with two simple forces: the steady flow that carries us forward and the quiet warmth that keeps us alive inside. My husband embodied both. His presence was a river — steady, sure and always moving toward what matters.”
Tenisha also noted that her husband’s “spirit was an ember — glowing with encouragement, igniting possibility in those around him. His way of seeing the world — that children’s inner light is worth tending with care and constancy — is the heartbeat of everything we create here.”
The statement concluded, “My husband believed deeply in tending not only to the inner light in children, but in ourselves. This company carries forward that belief — offering stories and rituals that honor the quiet power of connection between parent and child. This work is a continuation of that presence he embodied. Through story and ritual, I hope to offer families the same gifts he gave us: a sense of being held and a reminder that even in life’s changing seasons, our inner light is worth tending.”
What Is Malcolm-Jamal Warner Best Known for?
While many fans will remember Warner as Theo Huxtable from The Cosby Show, the actor had a long, successful career.
He starred with Eddie Griffin in the 1996-2000 sitcom Malcolm & Eddie and as Dr. Alex Reed in the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines.
Most recently, he starred in the Fox medical drama The Resident for five of the show’s six seasons.
Away from the small screen, Warner was the host of the “Not All Hood” podcast alongside Candace Kelley. The pair discussed “the lived experiences and identities of Black people in America,” according to the show’s description. The duo released their last episode on July 18, 2025.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner Shared What He Hoped Would Be His Legacy Before His Death
During his “Hot & Bothered” appearance, Warner also spoke about how he hoped to be remembered after his death.
“I will be able to leave this earth knowing and people knowing that I was a good person,” he said. “[My dad] said to me often, ‘You know people love you, and people [are] always talking about your career and your success and all of that, but what really makes me the most proud is that you are a good person.’”
He continued, “I remember my mother said to me one time that, ‘Mr. Cosby gave you immortality,’ so I know on one lane there’s legacy there. But then, because I’ve had this full life after that show, there’s another lane of legacy that I get to leave.”
Warner concluded that he hoped to be seen as a living example that “with all of the darkness in the world, it is possible to maintain your soul and be a good person.”
