Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Widow Reveals Her Identity and Shares Photo as She Speaks Out for First Time Since His Death
The late Malcolm-Jamal Warner was celebrated at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards by Phylicia Rashad, who played his TV mother on The Cosby Show.
Hours earlier, another woman also honored the actor: his wife, Tenisha. She took to Warner’s Instagram with a never-before-seen photo revealing her identity, which her husband did not share while he was alive to protect her privacy.
Here’s more on what Rashad and Tenisha said about Warner.
Rashad paid tribute to Warner, who ‘made us believe in something bigger’
Rashad introduced the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment and spoke about her “beloved” co-star.
During her heartfelt tribute to her TV son, Rashad said: “He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series with a world-watched role. And like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts.
“Tonight, as is tradition at the Emmys, we remember them, not just for their immense talent, but also for the way they’ve made us believe in something bigger, the best that is within us. And even though they may no longer be here with us, we can all smile knowing that their impact will remain, knowing that their lasting impressions will continue to live on through story, knowing that they touched our lives.”
The actress concluded, “Whether you grew up watching them or have just now discovered their brilliance, their life remains in the very fabric of our industry.”
Warner’s widow posts wedding photo, speaks out for the first time since his death
One day earlier, Warner’s widow posted a wedding photo with her husband to his Instagram account. She thanked everyone for their support over the last few months. She also let Warner’s followers know how she and her daughter are honoring his legacy with The Warner Family Foundation.
“Today, in his honor, my daughter and I are launching River & Ember and officially opening The Warner Family Foundation,” Tenisha wrote. “Together we carry the legacy my husband and I began — one that nurtures children’s inner light and gives young artists the freedom to create outside the lines.”
She explained, “The work is not just my offering to families; it’s a continuation of the love and presence that shaped our own. My husband believed deeply in tending not only to the inner light in children, but in ourselves. This work is a continuation of that presence he embodied.
“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. 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.”
Warner died on July 20 while swimming during a family vacation with Tenisha and their daughter in Costa Rica’s Playa Cocles in Limón province. His official cause of death was ruled accidental drowning by asphyxiation by submersion.
