Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Theo in The Cosby Show, died while on a vacation in Costa Rica, multiple outlets reported on July 21, 2025. Since Warner didn’t have any well-known health issues, fans of the late actor are wondering what his cause of death was. Below, get updates on Warner’s death and everything we know about the incident so far.
Warner was best known for playing Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992. Though the show was later plagued by controversy when sexual assault allegations came to light against Bill Cosby, Warner told People that he was proud of the show.
“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture,” Warner told the publication in February 2023. “The show shed light on the previously ignored Black middle class, which has always existed. And people in Cliff and Claire’s generation were often the first in their families to ever go to college, many of them becoming doctors and lawyers, like Barack and Michelle Obama. There’s even an argument that the show laid the groundwork for having a Black President of the United States.”
After landing his big break on The Cosby Show, the actor went on to star in multiple television shows and projects, including Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines, Major Crimes, Suits, The Resident, 9-1-1 and Alert: Missing Persons Unit.
Warner was 54 years old when he died in July 2025.
Warner died while on a family trip to Costa Rica, and he drowned while swimming, according to multiple outlets. It’s still unclear how long he was in the water and what paramedics found when they reached him at the time of publication.
For his entire career, Warner kept his wife’s name and their daughter’s identity out of the spotlight.
