Many hearts broke when Emmy-winning actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away in July. Fans especially felt sympathy for his surviving wife and their daughter, whose identities had always been under wraps. That is, until now. This past weekend, the actor’s widow, Tenisha Warner, broke her silence publicly for the first time ahead of their wedding anniversary.
“Thank you for holding us in so much love during this tender time,” her Instagram caption began. The two-slide post comprised a never-before-seen photo from their 2017 wedding.
“Tomorrow marks our anniversary — and my heart is wide open. For the first time, I’m sharing a glimpse of the love that began it all. I can still hear my husband’s laugh, still feel the way he made room for every part of me — every tear, every dream,” she continued.
Although the late actor publicly spoke about his wife and child, who is about 8 years old, he chose not to disclose their names or share any images of their faces to maintain a level of privacy.
In the second half of the post and tribute, Tenisha announced that the family is launching two foundations in remembrance of the actor with an important purpose.
“Today, in his honor, my daughter and I are launching River & Ember and officially opening The Warner Family Foundation. 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,” the caption continued.
“This is love,” she added. “Still moving. Still making. Still carrying us forward.”
In the next slide of the post, which was on the initiative’s page, Tenisha explained the inspiration behind River & Ember, which shares her journey with grief and love. According to the website, River & Ember will provide seasonal toolkits that help parents and children strengthen emotional resilience through art, mindfulness, and connection.
“To the river that carried us. To the ember that never goes out. Your love was the first story I wanted to keep telling,” the post concluded.
The Cosby Show actor died at the age of 54 after drowning while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica.
The star spoke highly of Tenisha and opened up about their love story during an interview with the Hot & Bothered podcast in May. He found love at the age of 45 and wanted to encourage others to know that it’s ok to wait for it.
“I’ve never, never second-guessed it [since]. There was a moment where I realized when people say, ‘When you know, you know,’ that’s what that feeling is.”
He added, “We’ve been together almost 10 years and we have never had a fight, an argument, a raised voice or a harsh word said to one another … And it’s not like we agree on everything.”
He also said he knew Tenisha was the person he wanted to have a child with early on.
“If something happened and we weren’t together romantically, she would still be the person that I would want to raise a child with.”
Sending love to his soulmate and their daughter. We’re inspired by how gracefully they’re carrying his legacy forward.