Malcolm-Jamal Warner died tragically one year ago. Now his widow is suing his mother

One year after the death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a Costa Rica drowning accident, his widow, Tenisha Warner, has filed a legal complaint against the actor's mother, Pamela Warner. The lawsuit, submitted in DeKalb County Superior Court in Georgia, targets Pamela Warner in her role as the successor trustee of the Warner family trust.

Tenisha Warner alleges that the estate owes her more than $1.2 million based on agreements established during their marriage. According to court documents, these claims include an unpaid $1 million life insurance policy, missing anniversary payments, unfulfilled retirement account contributions, and unpaid wages for her work as his chief of staff.

In a statement provided by her attorney, Tenisha Warner notes that she attempted to resolve the estate matters privately over the past year. She asserts that her husband intended to update his estate planning to provide for her and their nine-year-old daughter but died before those changes were finalized. The suit includes their 2022 prenuptial agreement as evidence for the financial claims.

Pamela Warner, who managed her son's career during his early years on The Cosby Show, recently honored the one-year anniversary of his death on social media. Legal representatives for both parties have not provided further comment beyond the initial filing and the widow's public statement regarding her need to protect her family’s rights.