Raven-Symone shares emotional tribute to Cosby Show co-star Malcom-Jamal Warner after his shock death

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Raven-Symoné has broken her silence following the tragic death of her longtime friend Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
The actor, 54, died in a drowning accident while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica on Sunday.
Raven-Symoné, 39, starred as the precocious Olivia Kendall, the step-daughter of Lisa Bonet's Denise on The Cosby Show from 1989 to 1992.
Warner starred as Cliff and Claire Huxtables' son Theo from the its debut in 1984 until the show's conclusion in 1992.
On Tuesday, the That's So Raven star expressed her grief, sharing a graphic with the message 'I love you' with a white dove against a black background, and a recorded message for Warner's family and fans.
'I cannot describe the pain and sadness and surprise I feel with the recent loss of MJW,' she said.
'He was a big brother, he was a beacon, he was one of the most multi-faceted, talented men. So gentle,' she said describing her friend's many qualities.
'And my heart and soul and hugs and kisses go out to his daughter and his wife and his mother,' she said.
Speaking of her fondness for her co-star, she said, 'He gave the best advice, he gave the best hugs.'
With a catch in her throat, she continued saying, 'and his smile will always be a huge, bright f-ing white smile in head forever. I love you and I know you're watching over all of us now.'
She ended the message with a sorrowful, 'Bye Malcolm.'
Naomi Campbell. 55, who appeared on two episodes of The Cosby Show in 1988, wrote about how being on the show was a dream come true for her in a mournful post on social media.
The supermodel said she told her mom and casting agent Bethann Hardison 'I want to do that show one day. I want to be on The Cosby Show. When I get to New York, I'm going to be on that show.'
Campbell said, 'At the time, I never truly believed I would even get to New York let alone step foot on the set of The Cosby Show, which was filmed at Astoria Studios in Queens.'
'With a heavy heart, I say goodbye to Malcolm-Jamal Warner,' Campbell wrote. 'On the show, I played a college friend, and off the screen, we were all part of an institution that shaped a generation'
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She then bid farewell to the actor writing, 'With a heavy heart, I say goodbye to Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
'On the show, I played a college friend, and off the screen, we were all part of an institution that shaped a generation.'
'The Cosby Show was a cultural cornerstone, and growing up with Theo his character felt like growing up with a friend.'
She then addressed those he left behind, writing, 'My deepest condolences to his family, his loved ones, and to all of us who saw a part of ourselves in him, Theo has now left us, and we honor his memory.
'May he rest in the highest peace.❤️'
NBC News has reported that his wife, whose identity has been kept private, has begun the process to return his body to the US for a planned funeral.