Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow sues his mother over $1.27 million claim
Tenisha Warner says a prenup required the late actor to provide insurance, payments, IRA funding and salary that allegedly went unpaid.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow is taking his mother to court, claiming the late “Cosby Show” actor left more than $1.27 million in financial obligations unpaid before his death.
According to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ, Tenisha Warner sued Pamela Warner, Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mother, in her role as trustee of the Warner Family Trust. Tenisha alleges the money is owed under a prenuptial agreement she and Warner signed in May 2022, days before they married.
Warner, known to generations of TV viewers as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” died while vacationing in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025, TMZ previously reported. He was 54. The lawsuit was filed exactly one year after his death, according to TMZ.
What the lawsuit claims
Tenisha alleges in the filing that Warner agreed in the prenup to provide several financial protections and benefits during their marriage. She claims he did not complete multiple promised payments and arrangements before he died.
The largest item in the lawsuit is a $1 million life insurance policy. Tenisha claims Warner agreed to keep such a policy in place with her listed as the only beneficiary, but she alleges he did not buy or maintain it.
The suit also claims Warner did not make yearly tax-free payments of $16,000, did not fund a Roth IRA for her, and did not pay her a $5,000 monthly salary for work she says she performed as his chief of staff and assistant during the marriage.
According to the complaint cited by TMZ, Tenisha puts the alleged unpaid total at no less than $1,276,042.46. That figure includes the $1 million insurance amount, more than $50,000 in anniversary payments, $30,500 tied to the Roth IRA, and $195,000 in alleged unpaid salary.
Why the family trust is involved
Tenisha says in the lawsuit that Warner’s estate does not have enough assets to satisfy the alleged debt. Because of that, she is asking a court to let her pursue the money from the Warner Family Trust, which Pamela now oversees as trustee, according to TMZ.
Tenisha is also seeking interest and attorney’s fees. In addition, she wants the court to stop Pamela from distributing money or property from the trust while the lawsuit is pending, according to the filing described by TMZ.
The claims have not been tested in court. TMZ’s report did not include a response from Pamela Warner or from representatives for the trust.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.