Regina King pens emotional memorial to ex Malcolm-Jamal Warner following his shock death at 54

Daily Mail​

23-07-2025

Regina King shared a series of memorials for her late ex-boyfriend in the wake of news The Cosby Show alum had drowned at 54 in an accidental incident in San Jose, Costa Rica.
'Some people leave a lasting imprint, not just for who they were but for the energy they carried,' the Academy Award-winning actress, 54, said in text splashed opposite a pic of Warner riding a motorcycle.
The Los Angeles native told her 2.4 million followers on the platform, 'I'm sending prayers filled with love and understanding to your family and loved ones. Rest easy Malcolm-Jamal Warner.'
King, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2019 for her work in If Beale Street Could Talk, posted a second shot of her former love interest riding a motorcycle with the caption 'Ride in power.'
King, who's also been seen on shows such as The Leftovers, Watchmen and Southland, dated Warner between 2011-2013.
Warner played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show during its entire 197-episode stretch from 1984 until 1992. During that time, he crossed paths with King, who was appearing on the NBC show 227 opposite Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry.
King told the outlet Essence in 2011, 'Malcolm and I have a lot in common.
'We've both been child actors and were also blessed to be raised by incredible mothers who instilled good values in us,' King said. 'Things are maturing nicely.'
Officials with the Judicial Investigation Department in Costa Rica said that the actor died Sunday after he drowned while on a Caribbean beach in the country.
Warner had been at Playa Cocles in the Limon province, authorities said, and had been drawn deep into the water by a current.
A first report from the department said that the actor had been 'rescued by people on the beach,' while Red Cross officials said that first responders who located Warner could not detect vital signs; and subsequently transferred him to a nearby morgue.
Warner's career in entertainment spanned more than four decades, as he also had featured roles on sitcoms such as Malcolm & Eddie, Listen Up and Read Between the Lines and drama shows such as The Resident and Jeremiah.
Warner spoke with the AP in 2015 about his drive in maintaining his career after The Cosby Show went off the air nearly a quarter-century ago.
Said the actor, 'I grew up with a maniacal obsession with not wanting to be one of those "Where are they now kids."
Following their 2013 split, King took to X/Twitter to reassure her fans all was well between them
'I feel very blessed to be able to have all of these avenues of expression ... to be where I am now and finally at a place where I can let go of that worry about having a life after Cosby.'
Warner, who received a nomination for an Emmy in 1986 for supporting actor in a comedy, told the AP in 2015 that the sex assault accusations against Cosby had 'tarnished' the legacy of the series, which virtually disappeared from heavy play in syndication amid Cosby's legal issues.
'My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film,' Warner said. 'We've always had The Cosby Show to hold up against that.
'And the fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.'