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Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned in the sea, confirms local authorities

Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned in the sea, confirms local authorities

File image of Malcolm-Jamal Warner Photograph: (AFP)

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Popular star for The Cosby Show, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, drowned in sea, local authorities confirmed to the press. The actor reportedly was pulled in by a strong current and bystanders rescued him; however the actor was pronounced dead by lifeguards. 

Local authorities in Costa Rica have confirmed that US actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned in the ocean on Sunday. The 54-year-old actor was best known for starring in the hit -sitcom The Cosby Show. The news of his death came to light on Monday evening. However, the cause of his death was not known at that time. Warner played the loveable Theo Huxtable for all eight seasons of the show, helmed by disgraced comic actor Bill Cosby.

'Pulled out by bystanders’

"We received a report of an adult male who died of drowning asphyxiation at Cocles Beach in Cahuita" on Sunday afternoon, said a statement from investigating police. "When the victim entered the sea he was apparently pulled out by a current. The man was assisted by bystanders on the beach, but was pronounced dead by Red Cross lifeguards."

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Local authorities identified him as the actor, and said his body had been transferred to a morgue for further analysis.

About the Cosby Show

Warner, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work on The Cosby Show, also appeared in sitcoms "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Reed Between the Lines." The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992, was one of the biggest TV hits of its time, detailing the lives of a middle-class Black family in New York.

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The show was inspired by the stand-up routines of Bill Cosby, who played the family's patriarch, a successful doctor. The show was a commercial and critical hit and was seen as groundbreaking for its depiction of a loving, happy Black family.

But its legacy has been overshadowed in recent years by dozens of complaints of sexual assault against Cosby, a man once known as ‘America's Dad.’

In the days before his death, Warner was busy hosting his podcast Not All Hood. The podcast was started in May 2024 and he co-hosted it along withWeusi Baraka and Candace Kelley.

“When we talk about the Black community, we tend to speak of it as a monolith when the reality is there are so many different facets of the Black community, and we wanted to have a space where we can really explore, discuss, and acknowledge all of those different aspects,” he had told PEOPLE of his hopes for the podcast before its launch.

Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner is survived by his wife and daughter.

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Shomini Sen

Shomini has written on entertainment and lifestyle for most of her career. Having watched innumerable Bollywood potboilers of the 1990s, writing for cinema came as an easy option t...Read More