Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Wife Tenisha Speaks Out on His Death
Malcom-Jamal Warner's family is honoring his memory in a special way.
Tenisha Warner, the wife of the late Cosby Show actor, spoke out for the first time since he died in July at age 54 after drowning in a rip current in Costa Rica. In a social media statement, Tenisha announced that she and their daughter—whose name hasn’t been publicly shared—are opening a family foundation and launching a partner organization called River & Ember, a resource made to bring families closer.
"Thank you for holding us in so much love during this tender time," she wrote on Instagram Sept. 12 alongside a photo from their 2017 wedding. "Tomorrow marks our anniversary—and my heart is wide open. For the first time, I’m sharing a glimpse of the love that began it all. I can still hear my husband’s laugh, still feel the way he made room for every part of me—every tear, every dream."
While Tenisha previously remained out of the spotlight with their 8-year-old daughter, she decided to speak out publicly to share how they will keep Malcolm-Jamal’s legacy alive, noting, "Today, in his honor, my daughter and I are launching River & Ember and officially opening The Warner Family Foundation."
To her, it means carrying on the actor's passion for family and uplifting children.
"Together we carry the legacy my husband and I began,” she continued, "one that nurtures children’s inner light and gives young artists the freedom to create outside the lines."
She added, "This is love, still moving. Still making. Still carrying us forward."
In another meaningful message, Tenisha emphasized her husband's magnanimous spirit that inspired the foundation.
"My husband believed deeply in tending not only to the inner light in children, but in ourselves," she wrote. "This work is a continuation of that presence he embodied."
Ultimately, Tenisha believes that his legacy will have a positive impact on countless others for years to come.
"Through story and ritual, I hope to offer families the same gifts he gave us: a sense of being held, and a reminder that even in life's changing seasons, our inner light is worth tending," she added. "To the river that carried us. To the ember that never goes out. Your love was the first story I ever wanted to keep telling."
For a look back at Malcolm-Jamal's life, read on.
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