NEED TO KNOW
Keshia Knight Pulliam is speaking out for the first time about the passing of her friend and former costar Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
On Sunday, July 27, The Cosby Show alum, 46, shared an emotional Instagram post in memory of her “big brother” Warner following his tragic death on July 20.
“A week ago I lost my big brother, but I gained an angel…,” Knight Pulliam wrote in the caption. “I love you… I miss you… We got our girls, ❤️” referring to Warner’s wife and daughter.
Alongside her message, Knight Pulliam posted a clip of Warner playing bass guitar onstage in front of a crowd at the City Winery in Atlanta. In a brief clip that followed, two young girls, who appeared to be the pair’s daughters, were seen walking with a horse on a farm.
Knight Pulliam added on her Instagram Stories, “Thank you for every text call and all of the love that you have sent my way … I’ve just needed a moment… ❤️.”
Warner died as a result of asphyxiation by submersion at age 54 on July 21 while swimming on a family vacation in Costa Rica, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed to PEOPLE.
Pulliam and Warner famously played siblings Theo and Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to the show’s end in 1992 and had remained close friends ever since.
Pulliam’s tribute to Warner comes after she appeared on the late actor’s podcast Not All Hood NAH just one month before his death, as the pair discussed their loyal friendship and the close bond their daughters share.
“She is more than my friend, she is family. Our bond goes way beyond The Cosby Show,” Warner said on the podcast. “We have both managed to navigate through the murky waters of child stardom with our souls and dignity intact.”
“He’s stuck with me for life,” Knight Pulliam joked, referring to Warner as “family.”
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Knight Pulliam and Warner also spoke about recently meeting up with their daughters. “I’m grateful that we have those moments with our families and our kids, and our daughters adore each other,” Knight Pulliam said.
“It’s so surreal to me that we have this kind of relationship as parents, and we see our next generation have this bond at such a young age,” Warner said, noting their daughters were born three months apart.
“I’m grateful because I think that one change also created the space for us [to] bring this relationship so current,” Knight Pulliam added.
