Actor and director Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the popular TV show “The Cosby Show,” died in an accidental drowning while vacationing with his family in Costa Rica, officials confirmed. He was 54 years old.
According to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department, Warner drowned on Sunday afternoon in Cocles de Limón, on the country’s Caribbean coast, after being pulled out to sea by a current.
Despite being assisted by people on the beach, he was declared dead by the staff of the Costa Rican Red Cross. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be asphyxiation by submersion.
Warner’s career in television spanned multiple decades, with notable roles in shows such as “Malcolm & Eddie,” “Reed Between the Lines,” and “The Resident.”
He also directed episodes of several TV shows, including “The Cosby Show,” “All That,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
In addition, he was a poet and musician, winning a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B performance in 2015.
Fellow poet and author Kevin Powell, a friend of Warner’s, described him as a devoted husband and father who was humble, kind, and supportive of others.
“He was never someone who was into the celebrity of it,” Powell said in an interview. “He knew what he was. He knew, you know, that he was America’s son.”
The news of Warner’s death was met with an outpouring of emotional reactions from fans on social media, with many expressing shock and sadness at the loss of a beloved figure from their childhood.
Warner is survived by his wife and daughter. The Costa Rican Red Cross has urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in water activities and to seek assistance in case of emergency.