The actor drowned this past Sunday due to strong currents at Cocles Beach, in the province of Limón, Costa Rica, where he was vacationing with his family. Beachgoers rescued him, but the Costa Rican Red Cross, after performing CPR for 20 minutes, could only confirm his passing.
Achieving such a level of fame during his adolescence almost led him astray. That's why his mother, Pamela Warner, sat him down to make him see reality: "Listen, kid, it's great that this show is the phenomenon it is, but at some point, this show will end. This show could end next year. What are you going to do when this show ends?". This is how the African-American actor recalled it in one of his interviews with People.
A few months ago, in an interview on Hot and Botheered with Melyssa Ford, the actor confessed how he would like to be remembered regardless of becoming a TV star: "I am a good person." This sentiment had been conveyed to him by his father, Robert Warner Jr., who on more than one occasion let him know that "people love you and always talk about your career, your success, and all that, but what really makes me proudest is that you are a good person."
Baptized as Malcolm Jamal in honor of Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, during his childhood, he showed an unusual interest in the world of entertainment. His parents encouraged him to pursue his dreams. After landing small roles in popular series like Fame, his big break came with The Cosby Show. He would later find success with Malcolm & Eddie (1996-2000), Jeremiah (2002-2004), and more recently in The Resident (2018-2023) and Alert: Missing Persons Unit (2025).
Interestingly, his first known love was Michelle Thomas, who played his girlfriend Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show. They had a beautiful relationship based on friendship, with no secrets between them and numerous displays of affection. When their relationship ended in 1994, they remained such close friends that when the actress passed away four years later due to a rare tumor, Malcolm-Jamal flew from Los Angeles to New York to be by her side in her final moments.
His next relationship was with actress Karen Malina White, with whom he dated for seven years until their breakup in 2007. With Emmy-winning actress Regina King, whom he met in the 80s, he dated from 2011 to 2013. Apparently, and as suggested by the actress in an interview, Malcolm-Jamal ended things with her on Valentine's Day, leaving her "heartbroken" when he later sent her a bouquet of flowers with a note saying "I still love you."
From that moment on, Malcolm-Jamal decided to be completely discreet about his love life. In fact, it is not known for certain when he married his wife, some say it was in 2016 or 2017, and her name is also unknown. Regarding their first date, on the podcast Hot & Bothered, he revealed that from the start, he was honest with her about not wanting to have children, "but five months later I said, 'What do you think about starting a family?'" And they had a daughter, whose name and birthdate are also unknown.
However, the beloved actor proudly showed her in some images posted on his official Instagram.