For his fans, Malcolm-Jamal Warner will always be remembered as Theo Huxtable from âThe Cosby Show.â But for those closest to him, he was a devoted husband, father, son, and friendâroles he protected fiercely from public view.
In a rare 2025 interview on the âHot & Botheredâ podcast, Warner spoke candidly about growing up with separated parents and how their strong co-parenting influenced his views on family.
âMy parents were separated when I was three. They got divorced when I was six,â he said. âMy father has been remarried for 47 years, and my mother and father are like brother and sister. My whole life, theyâve had this close relationship and coparented very well.â
Malcolm-Jamal Warnerâs Death at 54
On July 20, Warner tragically drowned off the coast of Costa Rica, according to Costa Rican National Police. People reported that the official cause of death was listed as asphyxia. He was 54.
Following confirmation of his passing, it was revealed that Warner is survived by his wife and daughterâthough he never publicly disclosed their names during his life.
Who Was Malcolm-Jamal Warnerâs Wife?
Though he fiercely guarded her privacy, Warner spoke lovingly about his wife during that same 2025 podcast appearance. Recalling their first date, he shared: âI was just really honest and frank and candid about everything. I wasnât trying to smash.â
While he initially told her he didnât want children, that changed within a matter of months. âI said, âWhat do you think about starting a family?ââ he shared. âAt some point during this time, if Iâm going to have a kid, this is the person I would like to have it with.â
Warner said the decision felt immediate and specific. “This feels right and this makes sense. When people say, âWhen you know you know,â thatâs what that feeling is.â
His Past Relationships: Regina King, Karen Malina White & More
Warnerâs most public romance was with actress Regina King. The two dated for two years before parting ways in 2013. âWe both had to do whatever we had to do to be ready for each other now,â King told Parade in 2012, as quoted in US Weekly. âWe probably wouldnât have been ready years ago.â
He was also in a long-term relationship with âA Different Worldâ actress Karen Malina White. Though he didnât name her directly on the podcast, Warner opened up about the aftermath of a six-year relationship: âAfter being in a relationship for six years, I spent the next two years like a man who had been in a relationship for six years,â he said. âI went on this hiatus. I was cold turkey.â
That time off from dating, he shared, led him to meeting his future wife through a mutual friend.
His Close Connection With Michelle Thomas
Warner was also romantically linked to his âCosby Showâ co-star Michelle Thomas, who played his on-screen girlfriend Justine Phillips. Thomas died in 1998 of stomach cancer.
In a touching 2015 Instagram tribute, Warner wrote: âIf there was ever an angel who walked amongst us mere mortals, this woman was it. So powerful even her haters would have to agree. She lit up the room like she lit up the screen! R.I.P. my love. We miss you.â
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