Bill Cosby, Jamie Foxx, Tracee Ellis Ross, and other celebrities pay tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner as actor passes away at 54
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Bill Cosby, Jamie Foxx, Tracee Ellis Ross, and other celebrities pay tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner as actor passes away at 54
Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away on Sunday (July 20, 2025) while vacationing in Costa Rica. The actor drowned on a beach. He was 54 years old at the time of passing. Bill Cosby, who acted with Warner in The Cosby Show, said he worked hard and knew his lines. Viola Davis called him her “son,” “brother,” and “friend” Taraji P. Henson called him a “gentle giant” and said his “legacy lives far beyond the screen””This one hurt. Malcolm, we grew up with you. Thank you for the art, the wisdom, the grace you gave us!!!!! You left the world better than you found it,” Henson wrote.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away on Sunday (July 20, 2025) while vacationing with his wife and daughter in Costa Rica. The actor drowned on a beach. He was 54 years old at the time of passing.
Celebrities have shared their condolences through social media. According to TMZ’s July 21, 2025, report, Bill Cosby’s representative Andrew Wyatt stated that the news of Warner’s sudden death reminded him of the day he got the news of his son Ennis Cosby’s death, who was shot dead in a robbery attempt in January 1997.
Bill Cosby, who acted with Malcolm-Jamal Warner in The Cosby Show, told ABC that he enjoyed working with Warner, as he worked hard and always knew his lines.
“He was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much… He was very professional. He always knew his part… He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go,” Cosby stated.
Actor Jaime Foxx uploaded a picture of Warner and wrote in the caption that he was “speechless” at the news of his passing.
“Speechless on this one rest in power, my brother,” Jaime Foxx wrote.
Tracee Ellis Ross posted a magazine cover of herself with Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and stated that he was her “first TV husband.” The two stars acted in the sitcom Reed Between the Lines.
“I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss,” she wrote.
Other celebrities who paid tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Beyoncé uploaded a picture of Malcolm on her website on July 22, 2025, thanking him for being a “big part” in television history.
Beyoncé paid tribute to the actor. (Photo: beyonce.com)
Viola Davis wrote an emotional statement on Instagram, calling Warner her “son,” “brother,” and “friend.” She noted how everyone praised his acting, saying how he did the “right” acting and how the television got a Black character “right.”
“I actually am speechless!!!!! No words! Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend… He was absolutely so familiar, and we rejoiced at how TV got it right!! But… Malcolm got it right… and now… we reveled in your life and are gutted by this loss,” she wrote.
Taraji P. Henson paid tribute to the actor, saying that many people, including herself, grew up with him and his legacy is “beyond the screen.”
“This one hurt. Malcolm, we grew up with you. Thank you for the art, the wisdom, the grace you gave us!!!!! You left the world better than you found it. Rest easy, king!!!! Your legacy lives far beyond the screen,” Henson wrote.
Actor Tyrese wrote a lengthy poem for Malcolm-Jamal Warner, calling him a “gentle giant.” In it, Tyrese recalled the impact of The Cosby Show and Warner’s acting.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner is survived by his wife and daughter.