Raven-Symoné paid a tearful tribute to her former “Cosby Show” co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner following the actor’s tragic death.
“Words cannot express the pain and sadness and surprise that I feel with the recent loss of MJW,” Raven-Symoné, 39, said in a heartbreaking audio message posted July 22 on Instagram next to the image of a white dove and the words “I Love You.”
“He was the big brother, he was a beacon, he was one of the most multifaceted talented men — so gentle,” she went on. “And my heart and soul and hugs and kisses go out to his daughter and his wife and his mother.”
“He gave the best advice. He gave the best hugs and his smile will always be a huge bright f—— white smile in my head forever,” she continued while breaking into tears.
Raven-Symoné concluded her message by telling Warner, “I love you and I know you’re watching over all of us now. Bye, Malcolm.”
The former “That So Raven” star’s followers responded to her emotional tribute in the comments of her post.
“I’m so sorry for your loss. Watching the Cosby show always made me feel like MJW was my brother too,” wrote one.
“Sending you and the cast so much love during this time,” added another.
Warner died July 20 as a result of drowning in Costa Rica, according to a July 21 statement released by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) that was translated from Spanish to English.
The actor, who was on a family vacation with his wife and young daughter, went swimming between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. local time at a beach in Playa Cocles, located in Costa Rica’s Limon province, when he was “dragged by a current offshore,” the OIJ said.
Though other beachgoers were able to pull Warner back to shore, but the Costa Rican Red Cross reported that the actor was “without vital signs” when they arrived to the scene.
Warner, whose acting career spanned five decades, shot to fame playing Theo, the teenage son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 until 1992. He was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in 1986.
Raven-Symoné joined the beloved sitcom in 1989, playing the precocious Olivia, the step-daughter of Theo’s older sister Denise Huxtable, played by Lisa Bonet.
In 2021, Raven-Symoné opened up about her special bond with Warner during an interview on TV One’s “Uncensored” where she discussed her struggle with dissociative disorder.
Though she described having few memories of filming “The Cosby Show,” she singled out Warner as a cast mate she still felt close to decades later.
“I still have a great relationship with Malcolm Jamal Warner, and I don’t even know why,” she said. “I just know that I adore him. I can’t really tell you the genesis of it, but I’m sure he helped me when I needed it.”
