Regina King Honors Late Ex-Boyfriend Malcolm-Jamal Warner originally appeared on Parade.
Regina King is publicly mourning the loss of her former partner, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who tragically died at the age of 54 after an accidental drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica.
On Monday, King, 54, shared a moving tribute to Warner on her Instagram Stories, accompanied by a photo of the late Cosby Show actor riding a motorcycle. She wrote, “Some people leave a lasting imprint, not just for who they were but for the energy they carried.”
She continued, “I’m sending prayers filled with love and understanding to your family and loved ones. Rest easy Malcolm-Jamal Warner.”
The Oscar-winning actress posted another image of Warner, standing triumphantly on his motorcycle with his hand raised high, simply captioned, “Ride in power.”
The pair first crossed paths in the 1980s during Warner’s run on The Cosby Show, while King was starring on the NBC sitcom 227.
Their romance didn’t blossom for some years later, however, with the King and Warner coupling up in 2011.
Reflecting on their bond in an interview with Essence that January, King shared, “Malcolm and I have a lot in common. We’ve both been child actors and were also blessed to be raised by incredible mothers who instilled good values in us. Things are maturing nicely.”
Warner echoed that sentiment to BET later that year, saying, “We like to protect what we have because it’s very special and very precious… But I will say that it’s a relationship that makes all the sense in the world.”
RELATED: ‘The Cosby Show’ Star Dead At 54 After Accidental Drowning
Despite their close connection, their relationship ended abruptly two years later in 2013, with reports surfacing at the time that things had ended badly between the pair.
King addressed the rumors directly at the time in a tweet that read: “Hey everybody PLEASE don’t believe everything you read. Me & MalcolmJamalWar are good. Life happens. Forward motion. Godspeed.”
Two years later, King hinted at a painful Valentine’s Day breakup in a candid interview with Us Weekly, telling the outlet at the time, “Someone broke up with me on Valentine’s. Yeah. I’m serious. Then he actually sent me flowers that said, ‘I still love you,’ and I threw the flowers in the trash, and he was upset that I threw them in the trash, and I was like, ‘F–k you.'” Though unnamed, King said people would “know” who she was referring to.
Before King, Warner was linked to his Cosby Show co-star Michelle Thomas, and later, actress Karen Malina White. At the time of his passing, Warner was married with a daughter, and had been keeping his family life largely private.
Speaking about his wife during a podcast appearance in May, Warner said, “If something happened and we weren’t together romantically, she would still be the person that I would want to raise a child with.”
King’s tribute is one of many to pour in amid the news of Warner’s shocking death, with former co-stars Raven-Symoné, Tracee Ellis Ross, Eddie Griffin and more all taking to social media to share their reaction to his passing and the lasting legacy he’s left behind.
Regina King Honors Late Ex-Boyfriend Malcolm-Jamal Warner first appeared on Parade on Jul 22, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
