EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Death Hit Disgraced TV-Dad Bill Cosby 'Extremely Hard' Amid Legal Woes — 'He Was Like a Real-Life Son'
Bill Cosby was deeply emotionally affected by Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death.
July 20 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's drowning hit his disgraced TV dad, Bill Cosby, "extremely hard," according to a source.
On the 1st anniversary of The Cosby Show actor's tragic death, RadarOnline.com revisits the circumstances of his passing and how it affected Bill nearly 30 years after grieving the murder of his own son, Ennis, in the late 1990s.
How Did Malcolm-Jamal Warner Die?
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was famous for playing 'Theo Huxtable' on 'The Cosby Show'.
Warner died on July 20, 2025, while on a vacation to Costa Rica with his family after being "swept away by a strong hangover current."
"Even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time," a Facebook post from the Caribbean Guard read last year. "He was pulled underwater with no vital signs, and despite having been provided with CPR maneuvers on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful."
He was 54 years old.
'Malcolm Was Like a Real-Life Son to Him'
Bill Cosby previously lost his own son, Ennis, in 1997.
Bill, now 89, was deeply emotionally impacted by Warner's sudden passing.
"He and Malcolm were very close and spoke all the time," the source revealed. "Malcolm was like a real-life son to him. Now he’s gone, just like his own boy, Ennis."
Ennis, then 27, was shot and killed by Mikhail Markhasev on January 16, 1997, in a robbery gone wrong. He had been working on his doctorate in special education at the time of his murder.
Markhasev was later sentenced to life behind bars.
Bill Cosby Will 'Never Regain His Good-Guy Image'
Bill Cosby has faced many sexual misconduct allegations over the years.
Bill, who has been mired in legal woes for years amid the snowballing sexual misconduct and sexual assault allegations against him, once had a life filled with fame and fortune. Now, he "relies on his wife," Camille Cosby, for "everything" and "doesn't leave the house," according to the source.
"Bill has long maintained his innocence and claimed he was unfairly prosecuted, but there’s still a stigma to his name," the source continued. "His reputation has been tarnished. He will never regain his good-guy image. Those left around him fear Malcolm’s death will finally put an end to his lonely, dreary life."
Malcolm-Jamal Warner Was 'Still Proud' of Show's 'Legacy' Before Death
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Malcolm-Jamal Warner was 'still proud' of 'The Cosby Show' before his death.
Many fans' feelings about Bill and anything he'd had a hand in creating soured after the rampant accusations came to light, but Warner was still "proud" of his work on the hit sitcom before he died.
"Prior to The Cosby Show, Black sitcom humor was predicated on being Black, the specificity of the 'Black' experience. Though the Huxtables were clearly Black — reflected quite obviously by their dress, the Black art on the walls, the music — the family issues all were universal," he told People. "And though Cliff (Cosby) was a doctor and Claire (Phylicia Rashad) was an attorney, the family dynamic was one that practically every family — no matter the ethnicity, socio-economic status or even family makeup — could find something to relate to."
"Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now," he noted, "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."
