New details have come to light following Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s shocking passing last month at age 54.
“The Cosby Show” actor’s mother, Pamela Warner, took to Instagram Friday, Aug. 8, to reveal that her beloved son “did not suffer” when he drowned while on a family trip in Costa Rica on July 20.
“For those of you who are at a loss, pained by the suddenness of his departure, ache for his presence or just to hear his voice one more time, to see his beatific smile one more time, be comforted that he was at peace and more importantly, he did not suffer,” she wrote.
“Malcolm was birthed through water and transitioned through water. This was his time. His mission on earth had been completed,” the late actor’s mom added.
Warner’s mother previously took to Instagram on Wednesday to start the “Malcolm-Jamal Warner Living Legacy” account.
Aug 8, 2025 mjwlivinglegacy/Instagram
She announced it was the “official account honoring Malcolm-Jamal Warner” and that “in the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be sharing updates on the work being done in his memory.”
Besides revealing that the Emmy-nominated actor “did not suffer,” she also remembered Warner as an “exceptional husband, father, and son” who was “deeply in love with life, his wife, and his daughter.”
“He was a kind, loving man with a huge heart for humanity. He wanted all to be aware of their inner strength and that they could succeed, accomplish and transform,” Pamela wrote. “This was his latest mission and work, transformation, in order for you to be fully present in your life.”
“Malcolm left an indelible mark on the world and on countless hearts,” she added. “All who met him, however briefly, were better for the encounter.”
Pamela added that she was “honored and blessed” to be Warner’s mother.
“As his mother, there is so much that I can say. It would fill volumes,” she wrote. “But what I will say, is that I am so very blessed that he chose me to be his mother, to come into the world through the waters of my womb.”
“It is an honor and blessing that will be with me all the days of my life,” she concluded.
Warner, who starred as Bill Cosby’s on-screen son Heathcliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992, tragically drowned to death on July 20 while swimming during a vacation to Costa Rica.
The Caribbean Guard, Costa Rica’s volunteer lifeguard association, confirmed the devastating news on Facebook.
“We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner at Playa Grande,” they wrote. “He was swept away by a strong rip current and died by drowning.”
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) shared additional details regarding Warner’s death.
“Mr. Warner was playing with his daughter at the seashore at one point. He then left her out of the water, and he and a friend of his entered the sea,” the agency told People in a statement translated from Spanish to English.
“It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out,” the OIJ added. “However, Mr. Warner was unable to get out and was pulled out by several people on the beach. He received care from Red Cross officials, but was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Warner’s body was later transported to a morgue in San Joaquin de Flores for an autopsy, and his cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation by submersion.
Several of Warner’s former co-stars have paid tribute to the late actor.
“A week ago I lost my big brother, but I gained an angel…,” Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” wrote on Instagram. “I love you… I miss you… We got our girls.”
Bill Cosby, who played Cliff Huxtable on the show, also reacted to Warner’s tragic death.
The comedian, 88, compared Warner’s passing to losing his own son, Ennis Cosby, who was murdered in 1997 at 27.
His rep, Andrew Wyatt, also told The Post that Cosby “spoke to Phylicia Rashad earlier today and they reminisced about Malcolm.”
Rashad, 77, played Warner’s on-screen mother, Clair Huxtable, on “The Cosby Show” for all eight seasons.
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