‘The Cosby Show’ Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner Cause of Death Revealed

The cause of death for The Cosby Show actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 54, has been revealed.

Warner, the actor beloved for his big break role as Theo Huxtable on the hit sitcom The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992, died from asphyxiation by submersion — otherwise described as a drowning — while he was off the coast of Costa Rica, local authorities told ABC News.

An autopsy on the actor, conducted by the Forensic Pathology Department, was completed on Tuesday, revealing that Warner’s death, which was also listed as accidental, the Costa Rican National Police said.

Authorities explained that Warner was swimming with his 8-year-old daughter on Sunday when he was caught by a rip current. Surfers were the first to see the two struggling in the water, at which point they dove in to help.

One of the surfers reportedly used his board to bring the actor’s daughter to safety while a volunteer lifeguard pulled Warner and another surfer to shore.

After reaching land, the Malcolm & Eddie star was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 45 minutes.

Warner died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, police told ABC News. The surfers involved in the incident both survived, authorities said.

The actor was initially described as a tourist, only later to be identified as Warner by Costa Rica’s national police.

Warner’s acting credits also include Reed Between the Lines, Suits, Fool’s Gold, among others. He was mostly recently a fixture for five seasons on the hit Fox medical drama The Resident.

Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.