Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s legacy lives on.

Warner, a New Jersey native and best known for his role as Theodore Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has left an enduring mark on the world as a Grammy-winning musician, poet, husband, and father. His passing in July 2025 shook the hearts of many. According to CNN, he died by drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica at age 54. 

“I can still hear my husband’s laugh, still feel the way he made room for every part of me — every tear, every dream,” his wife, Tenisha Warner, said in an Instagram post.

“Together we carry the legacy my husband and I began — one that nurtures children’s inner light and gives young artists the freedom to create outside the lines. This is love, still moving. Still making. Still carrying us forward,” she continued.

The Warner Family Foundation Launches Scholarship

The Warner Family Foundation, run by Tenisha and her daughter, has launched the Malcolm-Jamal Warner Creative Legacy Scholarship to support the next generation of interdisciplinary creators, poets, painters, musicians, and performers between the ages of 14 and 22. The foundation’s website states it will cover art supplies and creative materials; musical instruments or equipment; enrollment costs for classes, workshops, or training programs; tuition for creative education; and residencies, performances, or exhibitions.

The fund asks that artists be skilled in two or more areas.

“Just as Malcolm was an actor, poet, and musician, we believe art often lives in more than one form. We welcome creators who cross boundaries — poets who paint, musicians who write, actors who cook — and all those who seek the freedom to explore their artistry without limits,” a statement on the foundation’s website reads.

River & Ember

Additionally, The Warner Family Foundation has launched River & Ember. The organization offers seasonal toolkits, including original stories, exercises, and questions, designed to assist child development by “nurturing your child’s emotional rhythm, strengthening their nervous system, and inviting parents into moments of calm, presence, and deep connection,” the organization’s website states.

An app will accompany the toolkit and serve as an “emotional rhythm guide.”

Furthermore, a portion of River & Ember’s proceeds will go towards the Malcolm-Jamal Warner Creative Legacy Scholarship.