Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s death at 54 seemed to hit Hollywood and the public at large quite hard. After Warner’s death became public knowledge, celebrities and fans alike took to social media to share their memories of him and praise his talent as an actor and his character as a man. The Cosby Show icon died due to drowning while vacationing off the coast of Costa Rica. Numerous reports provided alleged details on the circumstances of Warner’s death and, now, his mother is speaking out and providing some clarity.
It was previously reported that Malcolm-Jamal Warner was in the water alongside his daughter when he drowned and that he was trying to save her. It was also said that the child was ultimately pulled to safety by a surfer. However, when Pamela Warner – Malcolm’s mother – spoke to ABC News, she specified that her granddaughter “was on shore” and “not in the water.” Malcolm-Jamal’s mother said he was actually in the water with an unnamed man at the time, and Pamela also described the situation that led to her son’s passing:
They were in the water, I think maybe chest-deep at, even at that. Maybe waist-deep. There was an undertow and my son was not an experienced swimmer. He did not know how to deal with an undertow.
According to Pamela Warner, the other man who was in the water with Malcolm-Jamal was caught in the undertow as well, but he was apparently “a more experienced swimmer.” The Resident star was eventually brought to shore by a volunteer lifeguard as well as another surfer. The doctor who tried to save Malcolm-Jamal has since spoken out and explained that first responders as well as nearby tourists also tried to lend their assistance.
This isn’t the first time that Pamela Warner has addressed her son’s death, as she previously broke her silence with an Instagram post shared in August, at which point she thanked people for their support. Tenisha Warner publicly identified herself as Malcolm-Jamal’s wife and paid tribute to him by sharing one of their wedding photos on IG and announcing the launch of The Warner Family Foundation. Pamela said both Tenisha and her granddaughter are still mourning, and she also recalled her own visceral response to her son’s death:
What came up and what came out was huge. It was an indescribable pain that resonated through my body.
Despite those initial feelings, Warner feels “grateful that I was chosen to be [Malcolm-Jamal’s] mother” and that she’s “at peace with everything that happened.” It sounds like there was “nothing left on the table” when it came to the mother and son, and I’d imagine that’s a comforting feeling for the proud mom.
The outpouring of affection for Malcolm-Jamal Warner came from not only his family and fans but from a number of celebrities as well. Angela Bassett and Tracee Ellis Ross paid tribute, and remembrances also came from Keshia Knight Pulliam and Bill Cosby as well. Anthony Mackie, a good friend of Warner’s, also praised his late buddy, who he called a “beautiful human being.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s absence is certainly felt, and it’s hard to truly fathom just what his mother and other loved ones are going through at this time. It’s heartwarming, though, that the Warner family is set on honoring the late star in the aftermath of his death. We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our condolences to the family during this time.
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