Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow, Tenisha, has filed a lawsuit against Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mother, Pamela Warner, over a dispute over a prenuptial agreement.
According to TMZ, Tenisha alleges in the lawsuit filed on July 20, one year after the “Cosby Show” actor’s drowning, that her husband broke his promise and left her $1.2 million when he died.
She claims in the documents that under a prenuptial agreement signed in 2022, Malcolm agreed to provide her with several financial benefits, including a $1 million life insurance policy that named Tenisha as the sole beneficiary.
However, Mr. Tenisha claimed that Mr. Malcolm never purchased or maintained any insurance.
Tenisha also alleged in the lawsuit that the “resident” alumnus failed to fund a Roth IRA for his wife, failed to make $16,000 in tax-free annual payments, and failed to pay her a $5,000 monthly salary for serving as Mr. Malcolm’s assistant and chief of staff during their marriage.
Due to the actor’s untimely death, these promises were not fulfilled, the document states.
The lawsuit was filed against Malcolm’s mother, who is a trustee of the Warner Family Trust.
Page Six reached out to Tenisha’s legal team and Pamela for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
As Page Six previously reported, Malcolm passed away on July 20, 2025, after drowning during a family vacation in Costa Rica. He was 54 years old.
Local police told the Post that the beloved childhood actor was in the water when he was swept away by a strong current at Playa Grande Beach in Cahuita, Limón.
An autopsy conducted by Costa Rica’s Forensic Pathology Department officially determined that the death was an accident due to suffocation due to submersion.
Tenisha’s identity remained private until months after Malcolm’s death when she broke her silence on social media and released unseen wedding photos to celebrate their anniversary.
The couple has a daughter, whose identity has not been disclosed.
