Malcolm-Jamal Warner‘s widow says the late ‘Cosby Show’ star left behind $1.2 million in broken promises when he died … and she’s suing his mother to try and collect.
According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Tenisha Warneris suing Malcolm’s mother, Pamela Warner, who now serves as trustee of the Warner Family Trust.
Tenisha claims Malcolm — best known for his role of Theo Huxtable — agreed to provide her with a number of financial benefits under a prenuptial agreement they signed in May 2022, just days before tying the knot … but she says he failed to follow through on several of the promises before his death.
According to the suit, Malcolm agreed to maintain a $1 million life insurance policy naming Tenisha as the sole beneficiary, but she claims he never purchased or maintained the policy.Tenisha also alleges Malcolm failed to make annual tax-free payments of $16,000, fund a Roth IRA for her or pay her a $5,000 monthly salary for serving as his chief of staff and assistant during the marriage.
She says the unpaid obligations total at least $1,276,042.46 — including $1 million for the life insurance policy, more than $50K in anniversary payments, $30,500 for the IRA, and $195K in unpaid salary.Tenisha believes Malcolm’s estate does not have enough assets to cover the alleged debt, so she wants the court to allow her to recover the money from his family trust. She is also seeking interest, attorney’s fees, and an order barring Pamela from handing out any money or property from the trust while the case plays out.
We broke the story … Malcolm drowned while vacationing in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025. He was 54.
Tenisha filed the lawsuit exactly one year after his death.
