Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Sweetest Quotes About His Daughter Before Death

Despite not wanting his daughter — or wife — in the public eye, Malcolm-Jamal Warner offered candid glimpses into his fatherhood journey before his death.

Warner grew up in front of our eyes playing Theodore Huxtable on NBC’s The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992. He continued to book roles that kept him on our TV screens with Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines, Sons of Anarchy, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and The Resident.

While Warner didn’t mind being in the spotlight, he kept his personal life relatively private. The actor dated his The Cosby Show costar Michelle Thomas until 1994, and was later linked to Karen Malina White and Regina King before marrying his wife, whose identity he chose not to disclose.

The couple welcomed a daughter, whose name the actor also decided not to publicly disclose. Warner later opened up about how fatherhood changed his life.

‘The Cosby Show’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

“At some point I was like, ‘If I’m going to have a kid, this is the person that I would want to have it with,’” Warner shared on the “Hot & Bothered” podcast in May 2025. “[I always knew] if something happened and we weren’t together romantically, she would still be the person that I would want to raise a child with.”

Warner noted that he “never, never second-guessed” his decision to exchange vows with his wife in 2017, adding, “There was a moment where I realized when people say, ‘When you know, you know,’ that’s what that feeling is. We have never second-guessed it. We’ve been together almost 10 years and we have never had a fight, an argument, a raised voice or a harsh word said to one another — And it’s not like we agree on everything.”

Two months after reflecting on his family life, Warner died in Costa Rica at age 54 after he was caught by a high current in the water. Keep scrolling for Warner’s sweetest quotes about being a father to his daughter before his death:

His Pride and Joy

After his daughter’s birth, Warner opened up via Instagram in 2019 about keeping her out of the spotlight.

“Thank you for sharing in my joy as a father even though I don’t post her face. She has the rest of her life for that life. Right now I just want her to BE,” he wrote at the time.

That same year, Warner shared a glimpse at his daughter riding a horse while making sure her face wasn’t seen in the photos, writing, “My daughter killed us twice today. For her mid-morning snack, this 2 year old girl actually asked for…wait for it…freaking…hummus! And then 20 minutes later said to us, ‘I need self care sometime.’”

Warner gushed about getting the chance to be a dad.

“Often I find myself just staring at her and wondering where she came from. I wholeheartedly own that the parents she came from/chose are special spirits in our own right and we’ve passed onto her our spiritual and vibrational riches,” he continued. “I am proud that we have been able to provide a wonderful, loving, and spiritually enriching environment as a home base into which ALL babies should be born and thrive. But the spirit with which she entered this world is hers and hers alone.”

The child star also thanked his own mother “for being such an incredible parent,” adding, “And we feel honored and blessed to be backed by a village of family and intimate friends to who love our daughter deeply and share in the honor our job to nurture, support, encourage, and protect her precious light. .”

A Father’s Love

Warner posted a selfie with his daughter on Facebook in 2020, writing “You have absolutely no idea. A love so profound that even a poet can’t find the words to describe it.”

In a separate throwback video, Warner reflected on how “time flies” as a parent.

“I was playing this song in the car over the weekend and my baby didn’t even remember it,” he wrote in 2023. “We used to play it all the time when she was 1. Had to go back and find this post to show her. I’m happy to say that this beautiful song is now back in rotation.”

Jaleel White Reacts to Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s ‘Disturbing’ Death

A Close Bond

In May 2025, Warner shared on the “Hot & Bothered” podcast how his then-8-year-old daughter started watching The Cosby Show.

“She said, ‘That’s Papa! That’s Papa!'” he recalled about his child’s close connection to his former costar Keshia Knight Pulliam‘s character Rudy. “For the longest time, she actually called the show Rudy’s Family. The most surreal thing is, my daughter and Keshia’s daughter are just a couple months apart, and they are like this [crosses fingers]. It’s so crazy.”

Keeping Them Out of the Spotlight

“Obviously I don’t post [my wife and daughter]. I don’t, you know, I talk about them, because they are obviously the hugest parts of my life, the best parts of my life, best decisions I’ve ever made, but I like to keep them and their identity private,” he shared on the podcast. “But I love talking about them because I want people to know that it is possible to be happy and to have love and love really be enriching.”

Warner added: “I met my wife at 45, so like it’s OK to wait, you don’t have to be in your 20s … So I talk about them a lot ’cause I’m very proud of my life and that aspect of my life.”

Strong Connection With His ‘Cosby Show’ Costar

Warner reunited with Pulliam on his podcast “Not All Hood NAH” one month before his death where they discussed a recent lunch without their kids. After the get together, the pair went by Pulliam’s daughter Ella’s school.

“She told me ‘Mommy, I saw Uncle Malcolm.’ And I was like ‘You did?’ I’m grateful that we have those moments with our families and our kids, and our daughters adore each other,” Pulliam said.

Warner called it “the most surreal thing,” adding, “And they love each other, and it’s so surreal. It’s so surreal to me that we have this kind of relationship as parents, and we see our next generation have this bond at such a young age.”