Malcolm-Jamal Warner has passed away at the age of 54. He was just a month away from his 55th birthday. Warner drowned while swimming in Costa Rica with his family. He was best known to Gen Xers and Xennials as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, but he grew into a wonderful adult actor, director and musical artist as an adult. I remember when he popped up on Major Crimes and he really gave the show a much-needed injection of charm and charisma. I also remember that he had a role on Suits, and he gave at least one interview where he showed a lot of support for the Duchess of Sussex.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner has died. He was 54. The actor was in Costa Rica on a family vacation and drowned while swimming, a source confirms to PEOPLE. A rep for Warner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The actor played the only son of Bill Cosby’s character, Heathcliff Huxtable, in the sitcom from 1984 to 1992. In 2023, Warner told PEOPLE of the show, “I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of. We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing from each other.”
Warner did, of course, acknowledge how the show’s legacy had changed given the allegations made against Cosby, 88, who was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 but later had the charge overturned in 2021, only for five more women to accuse him of sexual assault.
“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.
It’s just so sad. According to TMZ, he was vacationing with his daughter in Costa Rica, and he was caught in a high current. Technically, he died of asphyxia. It is completely devastating. Apparently, his daughter is only six or seven years old as well.
Note by Celebitchy: I just watched Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the series The Resident, on Netflix now. His performance as Dr. AJ Austin was incredible and so memorable. When I finished the series I looked up his IMDB because he’s the character I miss the most. He was such an incredible actor and he will be missed. We’re thinking of his family and friends at this time.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
-
- BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea 2015 at the SLS Hotel – Arrivals,Image: 349834291, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Credit line: FayesVision/Wenn/Avalon
-
- 6th Annual Celebrity Red Carpet Safety Awareness Event at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California.,Image: 350381915, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
-
- Celebrities attend FOX Summer All-Star Party, Arrivals, TCA Summer Press Tour at Soho House West Hollywood.,Image: 380873296, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Malcolm Jamal Warner, Credit line: Brian To/Wenn/Avalon
-
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the Television Academy and SAG-AFTRA Host 4th Annual Dynamic & Diverse Celebration, Saban Media Center, North Hollywood, CA 08-25-16 .com 818-249-4998,Image: 532995144, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan/Avalon
-
- Costa Rica, COSTA RICA Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died at the age of 54 while on vacation in Costa Rica. The actor reportedly drowned while swimming. Pictured: Malcolm-Jamal Warner BACKGRID USA 21 JULY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Costa Rica, COSTA RICA Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died at the age of 54 while on vacation in Costa Rica. The actor reportedly drowned while swimming. Pictured: Malcolm-Jamal Warner BACKGRID USA 21 JULY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
This is such a gut punch and so incredibly sad. I grew up with Malcom every Thursday watching him as Theo and then seeing him continue in his career and as a director.
Life is supremely unfair.
This one hits so hard. He was a great actor and a really inspiring person. I’m so devastated for his family especially his daughter who had to witness it.
Horrifying.
Even the strongest swimmer cannot defeat a riptide.
RIP Theo.😢😢😢😢😢
I was so incredibly sad when I read the news on BlueSky yesterday. He was such great actor and seemed like a truly great man. My heart goes out to his daughter & his entire family.
RIP Malcolm.
Such a tragedy. Deepest sympathy and prayers for his family. 🌹🙏🏽🌹
I saw this last night on Tisa tellls and I went and hid not wanting it to be true, I just bought his album as I hadn’t appreciated that was a feather in his cap. I’m of that Generation grew up with the Huxtables, wanting that type of family life, He was so young I feel for his daughter who I hope will have some strong memories of him. Such a Damn shame RIP MJW ✊✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿
This is so sad. My thoughts and love with the family. I grew up watching him as Theo.
I can’t believe it. He was my TV kid brother. May His Soul Rest In Peace 🙏 and Condolence to his daughter, entire family ( including the Cosby Show cast) and to his friends….
SHAME on that idiot on CNN who disrespected his Memory. To him, all of Malcom worth was his link to Bill Cosby and therefore the sex scandal.
F-ck Cobsy fr bc I loved that show growing up. Malcolm Jamal Warner as Theo was a delight. He brought humanity to all the roles he’s been in since.
This is so sad. When I saw the news at first I didn’t believe it was true. He was a really good actor.
I am so sad to hear about this. Theo Huxtable was one of my favorite characters on the Cosby show. I was living in Bangkok with my family when the Cosby show started airing so I’ve never heard of it. It was in the 80s so so it wasn’t broadcast on the TV in Thailand. People would send us videotapes of recent shows in the Cosby show was the real hit and we would pass it around quickly, cause people wanted To see it I I have enjoyed watching him over the years and I am so sad for his family and especially Young daughter
💔💔 Rest in peace. He was so talented and handsome. I had such a crush on him. 💔
Heartbroken. An absolute legend. Love to his family and friends.
This one hurts. I grew up watching him as Theo and enjoyed seeing him pop up in other shows. He seemed like a super nice guy. On a Reddit thread yesterday, someone recounted meeting him in the late 80s/early 90s while standing behind him in line at Disneyland. They recognized him and said hi. They said Malcolm was friendly, chatty and funny. That might be the first time I’ve ever heard of a celeb being a genuinely nice, normal person like that, especially after being recognized.
This is so devastating for his family, I can’t even imagine. I have only seen him in the Resident and he was one of the most memorable characters and actors in the show.
I’m so sad! Grew up thinking he was SO HANDSOME in the Cosby Show, and it seems like he was a kind and genuine person. I’m sad for his daughter as well. What a loss.
I am gutted. He is forever Theo to me. Such a loss. It’s like losing my brother all over again.
This one hits hard. A child actor who navigated early fame to transition to a busy adult actor with real acting chops. I didn’t follow him closely but was always thrilled when he popped up on anything I was watching. He seems like a genuinely well adjusted person who took his fame in stride while protecting his privacy. I really feel sorry for his mother and especially his very young daughter that he seemed to absolutely adore. He will be greatly missed. Job well done. RIP
So deeply saddened by this news. Loved his work in his adult roles, especially The Resident, and yes, he was a highlight of his episodes of Major Crimes. I’m so sorry for his family. He was a lovely man.
I despise serial rapist bill cosby and how his actions sh*t on the incredible legacy of the Cosby Show.
That show was so important to black culture and american culture at large.
The writing was fantastic, the performances were great. And it was so damn funny.
I’ve been watching Theo’s most famous show moments on social media since yesterday.
I’m so sorry to his family and friends and community of musicians who knew him in real life.
We are all heartbroken, but they really lost something.
Such sad news and so devastating for his family and friends, especially his little girl. I remember him from my favourite episodes, namely the one where Denise made him that horrible shirt, and the other where he gets introduced to the real world and Rudy is his landlord. Also the one where he bought his girlfriend Tonya an inexpensive necklace. He was so funny. This one hits pretty hard.
One of my favorites was the prom episode where he and his friend set up a helicopter ride to impress their dates, lol. RIP MJW! 💔
Oh that was a great one! He was such a great actor – a great combination of comedic timing and vulnerability.
OMG that designer shirt episode and the Denise knockoff was hilarious. MJW brought a lot of joy and relatability. He is missed.
May his memory be a blessing. I have such respect for him as a person, because when he was working at a Trader Joe’s in New Jersey and was recognized and it became a big dumb new story, his response was basically that he needed to earn money and it was a great place to work.
That was the guy who played Elvin. After that Tyler Perry reached out and got him a role on one of his shows.
This one hurts so much. He was like the big brother I never had growing up.
After I heard the news I kept watching old clips of him.
There is a very good podcast episode from May this year with him. It’s on Meylissa Ford’s podcast. He talks about his acting roles. Poetry and albums he’s done and even putting off marriage until later in life and he sounded SO happy about his wife and daughter. There was even a question about what he would like his legacy to be. It’s very interesting, I highly recommend you all check it out.
So tragic & heartbreaking 💔 Rest In Peace, Malcom 😔
I saw this on Facebook, then the next post was that Robert Plant had died (false). I was hoping this news was false too, but it wasn’t. The Cosby Show was a big part of my childhood and I hate that Bill Cosby ruined that for me, especially when it was pulled from syndication. I enjoyed watching him pop up on other shows. I loved him as Kurdy on Jeremiah (also RIP Luke Perry). Healing vibes to his family.
So very sad and just awful. My sympathies to his family. I also remember when he was added to Major Crimes and loved it – such a strong and charismatic character and actor.
I can’t even. What a loss for all of us.
I hung out with Malcolm one night at the Blue Note in Manhattan. He was friends with a musician friend of mine. He was very down to earth and charming. I have yet to speak with my friend, but I am sure he is in as much shock as we all are. It’s just tragic. And a reminder that we are not promised tomorrow.
May his memory be a blessing to his family and friends.
Really, really sad. Rest in peace.
This is so sad.
I grew up watching him like so many others, and it was always great to see him pop up in other shows throughout the past few decades. I can’t imagine the pain his family is in. My heart goes out to them.
What an awful way to go. RIP, Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Also, that Resident show looks interesting. I may have to give it a try.