Bill Cosby has finally spoken out after the heartbreaking death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his words are gut-wrenching. In a rare and emotional statement, Cosby compared the pain of Warner’s tragic drowning to the moment he lost his own son—calling it a wound that never truly heals. “It’s like reliving that nightmare all over again,” he said, his voice heavy with grief. The two had shared more than just a TV screen—they were family in every sense. Now, with Warner gone so suddenly, Cosby’s raw reaction has shaken fans to the core.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s TV father is addressing his tragic death.

Hours after it was reported that the actor died at 54 by fatally drowning in Costa Rica while on vacation with his family, Bill Cosby’s rep, Andrew Wyatt, shared how the comedian took the news.

Wyatt told The Post that Cosby “spoke to Phylicia Rashad earlier today and they reminisced about Malcolm.”

Black and white photo of Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Bill Cosby from *The Cosby Show*.
12 Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore ‘Theo’ Huxtable, Bill Cosby as Dr. Heathcliff ‘Cliff’ Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.”NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Cosby starred as Cliff Huxtable, the dad of Warner’s character Theodore “Theo” Huxtable in “The Cosby Show” for 8 seasons, from 1984 to 1992. Rashad, 77, played Clair Huxtable, Theo’s mom.

According to Wyatt, Cosby shared that his childhood friend recently passed away, noting that hearing of Warner’s death added to his pain.

The actor, who just celebrated his 88th birthday, feels like “everybody’s leaving,” Wyatt told The Post.

The star’s spokesperson also shared that Cosby told him, “While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.”

The actor also compared Warner’s passing to losing his own son, Ennis Cosby, who was murdered in 1997.

The cast of *The Cosby Show* reunited.
12 Members of Bill Cosby’s television family, the Huxtables. From left: Sabrina Le Beauf, Tempest Bledsoe, Cosby, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Phylicia Rashad, Raven Symone and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.AP
The Cosby Show cast photo.
12 The Huxtables, America’s TV family from 1984 to 1992.NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Hearing the news “reminded him of the same call he received when his son died,” Wyatt added.

Cosby’s only son was fatally shot during an attempted robbery while changing his flat tire on a Los Angeles freeway ramp.

Ennis was 27.

Bill Cosby and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a scene from *The Cosby Show*.
12 Cosby’s rep told The Post that the actor “never stopped being a father” to his TV children.Courtesy Everett Collection

Wyatt also shared a heartwarming story of a full-circle moment with Warner.

“He started with the Cosby show, he was a teenager,” he explained to The Post, adding that Cosby gave Warner his upright bass named after his only son in 2016, more than two decades after “The Cosby Show” ended.

He passed the instrument on “so his [Ennis’] legacy would be that he humanized the world,” Wyatt said of Cosby’s son, adding now that Warner’s dead, “he would humanize the world even more.”

Bill Cosby and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a scene from *The Cosby Show*.
12 Corbis via Getty Images

Wyatt shared that Cosby recently spoke to Warner.

“He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said ‘Malcolm was changing humanity,’” he said.

Wyatt also addressed Cosby’s reaction with People, in which he called the tragedy “devastating.”

Bill Cosby and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a kitchen scene from *The Cosby Show*.
12 Bill Cosby recently spoke to Malcolm-Jamal Warner, revealing they last talked “three months ago.”NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“He [Cosby] found a way to talk about Malcolm even though he was sad,” he told the outlet.

Talking with CBS News’ Jericka Duncan, Cosby said he and his former TV wife were “embracing each other over the phone about a dearly beloved friend.”

“He was never afraid to go to his room and study. He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of being a teenager,” Cosby added, sharing he last spoke to Warner “three months ago.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the Grammy Awards.
12 He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of being a teenager,” Cosby shared of Warner.Getty Images
The Cosby Show cast photo: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Tempestt Bledsoe, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Sabrina Le Beauf, Geoffrey Owens, and Keshia Knight Pulliam.
12 Cosby’s rep revealed to The Post that he and his TV wife reminisced on the phone about Malcolm after learning about his death.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Warner died on Sunday, July 20, at age 54, when he accidentally drowned.

Costa Rican National Police told The Post that Warner was pulled from the water by people in the area and taken to shore, where they desperately attempted to save his life, but it was too late.

“The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current. The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene,” the OIJ later confirmed to People.

Bill Cosby accepting an Impact Award at the 9th Annual TV Land Awards.
12 Malcolm-Jamal Warner died on Sunday, July 20, at the age of 54.WireImage

The actor’s body was taken to the morgue at San Joaquin de Flores for an autopsy. His cause of death was listed as asphyxiation by “submersion,” the Costa Rican National Police shared on Monday, July 21.

Warner was handpicked by Cosby for the role of Theo on the family sitcom, which later earned the young star a 1986 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Besides Warner, Cosby and Rashad, the Huxtable family included Sabrina Le Beauf (Sondra), Lisa Bonet (Denise), Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa) and Keshia Knight Pulliam (Rudy).

Malcolm-Jamal Warner speaking at an event.
12 The actor earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Theo Huxtable on the beloved family sitcom.Getty Images for SCAD aTVfest 2020
Malcolm-Jamal Warner speaking at the Beloved Community Awards.
12 The show itself earned a whopping 29 Emmy nominations, taking home six.Getty Images

During its 8 seasons, “The Cosby Show” landed 29 Emmy nominations total, taking home six golden statuettes.

After his stint on the beloved NBC sitcom, Warner continued to have success on shows like “Malcolm & Eddie” with Eddie Griffin (1996 to 2000) and “The Resident” (2018 to 2023).

He also starred on “Reed Between the Lines” with Tracee Ellis Ross and appeared in several TV favorites like “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “American Crime Story,” “Suits,” and more.

Black and white photo of Bill Cosby and Malcolm-Jamal Warner from The Cosby Show.
12 Malcolm-Jamal Warner leaves behind his wife and daughter.NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Many of his former co-stars, including Griffin and Ross, also addressed Warner’s shocking passing.

“For what the world lost was a Father a Son a Poet a Musician a Actor a Teacher a Writer a Director a Friend a Warrior that I had the pleasure of going to war with against the Hollywood machine and sometimes with each other because that’s what Brothers do but the Love was and is always there🙏🏾 ,” Griffin said in part.

“I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad,” Ross’ statement read.

Warner leaves behind his wife and daughter.

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