'Cosby Show' star Keshia Knight Pulliam mourns Malcolm-Jamal Warner: 'My big brother'

USA Today

a day ago

Keshia Knight Pulliam is paying tribute to her onscreen "big brother."
The actress, who played Rudy Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," honored her former costar Malcolm-Jamal Warner in an Instagram post on Sunday, July 27, after Warner's death in an accidental drowning.
"A week ago I lost my big brother but I gained an angel ... I love you ... I miss you ... We got our girls," she captioned an Instagram video of Warner playing guitar.
On her Instagram story, Knight Pulliam, 46, also expressed gratitude "for every text, call and all of the love that you have sent my way" since Warner's death, adding that she has "just needed a moment."
Warner, who starred as Rudy's older brother Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" for eight seasons, died on July 20 in a drowning off the coast of Costa Rica. He was 54.
Warner's former costars have been speaking out in the days since his death, with Bill Cosby telling ABC News that he "was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much." Cosby added, "He always knew his part. … He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go."
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Raven-Symoné, who played Olivia Kendall on "The Cosby Show," said in an emotional audio recording posted on Instagram that "words cannot express the pain and sadness and surprise that I feel" over Warner's death. "He was the big brother, he was a beacon. He was one of the most multifaceted, talented men, so gentle," she shared. "And my heart and soul and hugs and kisses go out to his daughter and his wife and his mother."
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who starred as Theo on 'Cosby Show,' dies in drowning at 54
"Cosby Show" alum Geoffrey Owens, who played Elvin Tibideaux, also remembered Warner as "a lovely man" and "a sweet and sensitive soul" in a statement provided to USA TODAY. "I respected him for many reasons, including the fact that he genuinely loved the act of creation," he continued. "He had the mind of an actor and the heart of a musician. He was generous, too; I did a theater project long ago and asked him to participate; and he was there for me. My heart goes out to his family."
Other former costars who paid their respects include Tracee Ellis Ross, who worked with him on the BET sitcom "Reed Between the Lines." In an Instagram post, she noted Warner was her "first TV husband."
"My heart is so so sad," Ross added. "What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I'm so sorry for this unimaginable loss."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY