“I never stopped being a father to [him],” said Bill Cosby as he paid tribute to his onscreen son Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who drowned during a family vacation.
Bill spoke about his recent conversation with his co-star from the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show.
When he received the call about Malcolm-Jamal’s passing, it “reminded him of the same call he received” after his son was fatally shot in 1997.
Highlights
- Bill Cosby paid tribute to his onscreen son, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who drowned during a family vacation.
- Malcolm-Jamal played the character of Theo Huxtable in the long-running show 'The Cosby Show.'
- Bill spoke about a recent phone conversation he had with Malcolm-Jamal before his tragic passing.
- The deceased actor called the assault allegations against Bill “painful” when they became public.
Bill Cosby paid tribute to his onscreen son Malcolm-Jamal Warner who drowned during a family vacation
Image credits: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
Malcolm-Jamal was on holiday with his family in Costa Rica when he drowned and lost his life at the age of 54.
Sources claimed he was pulled out of the ocean by bystanders.
“The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current,” the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) said.
Image credits: Paras Griffin/Getty Images
“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,” the statement added.
Paramedics “performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the patient for more than 20 minutes, but without successful results,” a Costa Rican Red Cross spokesperson told People.
Theo Huxtable's character was loosely based on Bill’s own son Ennis Cosby
Image credits: Netflix
Malcolm-Jamal began his career playing Theo Huxtable, the only son and the middle child of five children in the Huxtable family, led by father Heathcliff (Bill Cosby) and mother Clair (Phylicia Rashad).
Theo’s character was loosely based on Bill’s own son Ennis Cosby.
Malcolm-Jamal and Ennis were friends before Bill’s son lost his life at the age of 27 during a failed robbery attempt.
Image credits: ABC News
“I enjoyed working with him very much,” Bill said about appearing onscreen with Malcolm-Jamal for the show’s eight-season run from 1984 to 1992.
“He always knew his part, he always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go,” he added.
The actor, 88, said he maintained his bond with Malcolm-Jamal even after the show came to an end.
“He always knew his part, he always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go,” the disgraced actor said
Image credits: Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal
“Malcolm calls here regularly,” he told ABC News after the passing. “While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.”
The disgraced actor spoke about talking to Malcolm-Jamal on call about three months back.
Image credits: Larry King Now
“What we talked about was something he was very proud of,” he told CBS News.
“He had done a concert in Minnesota with a symphony and there was something he had written, but he was very proud of what he had done and what he had said, and it was about living in America,” he continued.
The news about Malcolm-Jamal's passing reminded Bill about his own deceased son, who was fatally shot in 1997
Image credits: ABC News
The comedian also said he spoke with his onscreen wife Phylicia Rashad about their grief.
“We were embracing each other over the phone about a dearly beloved friend,” he told the outlet.
Image credits: CBS News
Bill’s spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said the passing of Malcolm-Jamal “reminded him of the same call he received when his son di*d.”
“He found a way to talk about Malcolm even though he was sad,” Andrew told People.
The Cosby Show legacy was tainted with allegations of assault leveled up against Bill
Image credits: Netflix
The legacy of The Cosby Show was tainted after Bill was accused by more than 60 women of assault and misconduct spanning decades. He has maintained his innocence through the years.
The actor was placed behind bars after he was convicted of assault in 2018; however, the conviction was overturned in appeal.
Image credits: Netflix
Malcolm-Jamal had called the allegations against Bill “painful” when they became public in 2015.
“He’s one of my mentors, and he’s been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor,” he said during a Billboard interview at the time.
“Just as it’s painful to hear any woman talk about s**ual assault, whether true or not, it’s just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this,” he added.
Malcolm-Jamal had called the allegations “painful” when they became public in 2015
Image credits: www.youtube.com
The Grammy-winning actor maintained that The Cosby Show is something he is proud of.
“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I'm still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on—first and foremost, Black culture—but also American culture,” he told People in 2023.
“Of course, Bill Cosby is going to feel a little like he’s losing his son all over again,” one commented online
