Malcolm-Jamal Warner ‘could’ve made a lot of money’ if not for Cosby

Malcolm-Jamal Warner was everyone’s favorite little brother as Theo Huxtable in the ’80s mega-hit “The Cosby Show.”

But the star — who died tragically Monday after getting caught up in an ocean current while swimming in Costa Rica — had embarked on a life far removed from Hollywood, in Atlanta, Georgia, with wife Tenisha and their 8-year-old daughter.

“I think he decided to come to Atlanta just because it felt a bit more grounded. It felt more like a home to him,” Dashiell Smith, one of the actor’s best friends and bandmates, told The Post.

Warner, 54, moved to Atlanta for his multi-season run on the Fox show “The Resident,” playing fan favorite Dr. AJ “The Raptor” Austin.

He bought a $1.3 million, five-bedroom house in the suburb of Decatur, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2023 that, “Music and my wife and daughter keep me from losing my s–t.”

Industry sources told The Post Warner had likely amassed a fortune of around $6 million. He was just 13 when he joined the “The Cosby Show,” playing Theo Huxtable for eight seasons. It was TV’s No. 1 show between 1985 and 1990. 

Stations paid a record-breaking $600 million for the rights to air reruns beginning in 1988 — a deal that generated more than $1.5 billion over two decades, according to Forbes in 2017.

But in 2014, most platforms pulled the series as a backlash grew against star and creator Bill Cosby, who was facing renewed allegations of sexual misconduct. (More than 60 women accused Cosby of crimes, including rape and drug-facilitated sexual assault. He served nearly three years in jail for drugging and violating Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand in 2004 and was released when the sentence was overturned in June 2021.)

Warner admitted in 2023 that he and his former co-stars could be “making a killing” had the show not been yanked — even imagining a possible reboot: “We could have made a lot of money. ‘Fuller House,’ they’re doing their thing.’The Conners,’ man, we’d be making a killing right now.”

Asked by interviewer Jemele Hill if he was “resentful” because “one person impacted you guys’ lives and the way this show was seen,” Warner responded, “No. Not resentment … I get how this business works, for one. And just that whole situation is so layered, man.”

“I can’t defend him or his actions at all. But I also can’t throw him under the bus completely … ” Warner added of Cosby. “There is the piece of the financial hit that we all took but also it hasn’t really affected my career.”

Warner also revealed that he and his team had worked to set up his career “so my life would not have to be dependent upon that show or dependent upon Theo.”

Instead, the actor went on to appear in other projects, including the UPN sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie” from 1996 to 2000, and had recurring roles in “Suits,” “Community” and other shows. He also played Warner portrayed Al Cowlings in 2016’s “American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson.” 

In Atlanta, Warner played bass in the Biological Misfits jazz band alongside Smith.

“He loved to learn. He never thought that he was too big to grow … he was always one to immerse himself into his passions,” said Smith.

Warner was a “warm, genuine, loving father and a great friend,” Smith added. “He was very protective of his family. We formed a fantastic brotherhood and that will just be a memory I will always cherish … As you can imagine, I’m not doing so good. It’s devastating.”

Music promoter J. Scott Fugate recalled how Warner’s family would attend the Biological Misfits’ gigs, and the band performed at a coffee bar in Grant Park last month.

“I can’t tell you how much he loved his little girl — and she loved him so much,” Fugate said, “She was so full of joy watching him play, and she would dance. I’ve been thinking about her a lot and hoping she wasn’t on the beach where this all happened.”

In one of his last videos posted to social media before his death, Warner was seen wearing a flower in his hair — placed there by his daughter to celebrate her birthday.

“Just wanted to remind you, as I remind myself, that no matter what’s going on there’s always a reason to smile, if you just take a minute to stop and take stock, I guarantee you can find at least one reason to smile, and if for some reason you can’t find a reason to smile, then that’s probably the best time to be the reason for somebody else to smile,” he posted.

Warner had “no ego and never acted like a star,” said Fugate. “He was just another musician around town.

“He told me he was thankful he couldn’t sing — because he knew that if he had sung as a kid and become a teen idol, now he’d be just another washed-up child star.”

Warner said he met his wife through mutual friends when he was 45, and opened up about their relationship during a May 2025 appearance on the “Hot & Bothered” podcast. 

“You don’t have to be in your 20s looking for your soulmate,” he said.

Speaking of his marriage, Warner said he “never second-guessed it.”

“We’ve been together almost 10 years and we have never had a fight, an argument, a raised voice or a harsh word said to one another … And it’s not like we agree on everything,” he said. “I think because we met later in life, we’ve just always been at a point where we have a way of communicating like adults.”

Warner was also incredibly close to his mom, Pam Warner, 

His cousin Zsaneika Bass posted on Facebook that she was sure the actor is now with his late grandma Mary, adding: “Losing our cousin Malcolm-Jamal Warner has not only shaken our family, it’s touched a nation …

“Without my cousin Pam Warner, the Original Momager, there would be no Malcolm. PERIOD! She didn’t just raise a son, she nurtured a LEGACY.”