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The widow of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became famous as a child actor on The Cosby Show in the 1980s, is suing his mother over access to his trust.

Tenisha Warner filed a lawsuit Monday seeking more than $1.2 million US from Warner's mother, Pamela Warner — who oversees his trust. The suit was filed in DeKalb County Superior Court in Decatur, Ga., where Warner and his family lived, on the first anniversary of the actor's death.

Warner was 54 when he died in an accidental drowning while on holiday with his family in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025. He was best known for playing Theo Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable on the hit NBC sitcom The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992.

'I had no choice'

In a statement to CBC News sent by her counsel, Tenisha Warner said she tried to resolve what she called her husband's "complicated estate" privately while honouring his last wishes concerning their daughter, MacKenzie.

"Malcolm had every intention to provide for our nine-year-old daughter and me."

"I have been struggling to care for our daughter as a single mom and now as her sole provider.  Legally, I had no choice but to take action to protect our rights before any potential statute of limitations expired."

Trust dispute

In her petition, Tenisha Warner notes that the 1996 trust — established long before Malcolm-Jamal Warner met her and before their daughter was born — allocates 100 per cent of the trust estate to other family members, with the majority going to Pamela Warner and some to his father and a half sister.

The filing alleges Warner failed to complete multiple financial obligations to his wife and daughter before he died. Tenisha Warner is seeking at least $1,276,000 US and is asking the court to recognize her and their daughter as omitted heirs and spouses.

Pamela Warner's memorial post

The actor’s mother posted a tribute on his memorial Instagram account Monday to honour the one-year anniversary of his death, calling it "amazing how a year of pain, hurt, loss, emotional destabilizaton, and most importantly growth, has come and sits here before me."

"How can I be here and my child is not," she asked.

Her post also advised people to take care of those they loved and to "clear up any beef you may have with your loved ones, if possible. Cleanse your spirt of negativity."

CBC News has reached out to Pamela Warner's representatives for comment regarding the lawsuit, but did not receive a response by publication time.