“She loved him so much” - Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s friends reveal close bond actor shared with his daughter

Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away on July 20, 2025, at the age of 54. Reportedly, he died in an accidental drowning incident in Costa Rica.

After his tragic passing, the former Cosby Show star's friends mourned the loss and reflected on the close bond he shared with his eight-year-old daughter. As police authorities stated to ABC News, surfers found Malcolm facing challenges while he was swimming with his kid. 

In an exclusive conversation with The New York Post, music promoter J. Scott Fugate expressed Warner's daughter's affection for his dad, sharing,

"I can’t tell you how much he loved his little girl — and she loved him so much."

Malcolm-Jamal Warner was remembered dearly in a recent interview

Malcolm was a renowned actor, known for his performances in The Tuskegee Airmen, Malcolm & Eddie, The Cosby Show, and The Resident, among others. Apart from being a well-known actor, he has also made significant contributions to the music industry. 

The news of the musician's untimely demise shocked his loved ones and his fans. After the unexpected news of his passing broke on the internet on July 20, his friends and close ones looked back on his life and opened up about his loving relationship with his daughter.

While chatting with The New York Post, according to the article published on July 23, Fugate talked about Malcolm's family showing up at the Biological Misfits' performance. He also recounted the special memory of his performing for one last time in June. 

Expressing this love and concern for Malcolm's daughter, the music promoter added,

"She was so full of joy watching him play, and she would dance. I've been thinking about her a lot and hoping she wasn't on the beach where this all happened."

While looking back at Malcolm-Jamal Warner's life, Scott also revealed that the late musician never had any ego or tried acting as a star. Instead, he described the artist as "another musician around town."

Remembering his conversation with Malcolm, Fugate further noted,

"He told me he was thankful he couldn’t sing — because he knew that if he had sung as a kid and become a teen idol, now he’d be just another washed-up child star."

Malcolm-Jamal Warner escaped the limelight and chaos of Hollywood and relocated to Atlanta with his wife Tenisha and their daughter. He shifted to Atlanta for the Fox medical drama The Resident. He was seen portraying the renowned character of Dr. AJ "The Raptor" Austin. He also purchased a swanky property for $1.3 million in Decatur. 

After starting to reside in Atlanta in 2023, Warner spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and shared,

"Music and my wife and daughter keep me from losing my s*it."

During the exclusive interview with The New York Post, the musician's friend, Dashiell Smith, revealed the reason for the late star's decision to shift to a new city. As someone who knew Warner well, as one of his closest friends and a band member, he said,

"I think he decided to come to Atlanta just because it felt a bit more grounded. It felt more like a home to him."

Remembering the time he spent with Malcom and the amazing friend he was, Smith continued,

"He loved to learn. He never thought that he was too big to grow … he was always one to immerse himself into his passions."

He praised the late musician for being a "warm, genuine, loving father and a great friend," further describing him as

"He was very protective of his family. We formed a fantastic brotherhood, and that will just be a memory I will always cherish … As you can imagine, I’m not doing so good. It’s devastating."

A look at Malcolm-Jamal Warner's bond with his daughter

Warner's warmth and unconditional love for his daughter were evident in his social media posts. As Us Weekly reported, he preferred to keep his family away from the spotlight. However, they often made it to his heartfelt posts on the internet.

After she was born, Warner dedicated a tribute to his little one on Instagram, penning,

"Thank you for sharing in my joy as a father even though I don’t post her face. She has the rest of her life for that life. Right now I just want her to BE."

While Malcolm remained concerned about his daughter's private life, he shared memorable glimpses spent together on Instagram. In 2019, he posted about his kid riding a horse. Though he highlighted his daughter's activity publicly, he ensured to hide her face. In the caption, The Resident actor sweetly wrote, 

"My daughter killed us twice today. For her mid-morning snack, this 2 year old girl actually asked for…wait for it…freaking…hummus! And then 20 minutes later said to us, 'I need self care sometime.'"

In a May 2025 episode of the Hot & Bothered podcast, as Us Weekly confirmed, Malcolm opened up about keeping his family's identity a secret. He told,

"Obviously I don’t post [my wife and daughter]. I don’t, you know, I talk about them, because they are obviously the hugest parts of my life, the best parts of my life, best decisions I’ve ever made, but I like to keep them and their identity private. But I love talking about them because I want people to know that it is possible to be happy and to have love and love really be enriching."

How did Malcolm-Jamal Warner die?

Malcolm-Jamal Warner tragically died from accidental drowning on July 20 while he was on a trip to Costa Rica with his family. Police disclosed to ABC that Warner was "caught by a high current in the water and was discovered Sunday afternoon," as reported by People.

According to a Just Jared report, he was swimming off the Cocles beach in Limon, Costa Rica. His daughter also accompanied him in the water, and unfortunately, both of them were caught in a rip current.

As People cited, the police authorities spoke about the actor's tragic death with ABC NEWS, adding that surfers were the first to find Malcolm and his eight-year-old child caught in the water. Without overthinking the consequences, they jumped into the beach in an attempt to rescue the duo.

The child was saved by a surfer. He reportedly protected her from the strong current with his board. A volunteer lifeguard dived to rescue Malcolm and another surfer. After dragging the musician out of the ocean, rescuers performed CPR for about 45 minutes. However, he showed no signs of life.

The person who struggled and suffered injuries while trying to save the actor was rushed to a hospital. Dr. Mauricio Sonalo Corella, the Medical Director for the Talamanca Health Area, told People on Wednesday that he has been discharged without further complications.

In conversation with the outlet, the Judicial Investigation Agency opened up about Warner's autopsy report. As per the results, accidental asphyxiation by submersion caused his passing. In an official statement on the actor's death, the agency noted that they "removed the body of a man who apparently died as a result of asphyxiation by submersion." They discovered the body as Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Per People, the initial details of the incident revealed,

"the victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current. The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene."

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