The entertainment world is in mourning following the tragic death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the beloved actor best known for his iconic role on “The Cosby Show.”

Warner reportedly passed away in a drowning incident, and fans are now grappling with the sudden loss while sending love to the family he so fiercely protected from the public eye.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Expressed Happiness Over His Wife

According to Essence Magazine, Warner opened up about the joy his wife, who remains unnamed to the public, brought to his life during a previous episode of his podcast, “Not All Hood.”

“There is a genuine joy and happiness in our marriages that I may not have necessarily had had I gotten married and started a family earlier,” the iconic actor, who was 54, said. “I know me at my level of maturation…there is almost a relief that I waited as long as I did to get married and start a family. So that’s a wonderful conversation to have amongst my comrades.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Didn’t Want To Marry, But His Wife Changed Everything For Him

On the “Hot & Bothered” podcast, Warner said he knew from a very young age he wasn’t interested in getting married, specifically because he didn’t want to project his trauma onto someone else. During that conversation, the Grammy winner also shared how he knew he never wanted to have children. However, after going on a date with his wife, who said, “‘I’m definitely going to have kids,'” Warner started looking at things differently.

“At some point, I was like, if I’m going to have a kid, this is the person that I would want to have it with,” he said. “I also realized that if something happened and we weren’t together romantically, she would still be the person I would want to raise a child with, co-parent with.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Opened Up About Keeping His Wife’s And Daughter’s Identity Private

Warner was adamant about keeping the identities of his immediate family private. According to Essence, he shared a little about them during the “Hot & Bothered” podcast, saying, “I talk about my wife and daughter, but obviously I don’t post them.”

He added, “I talk about them because they are obviously the hugest parts of my life, the best parts of my life, the best decisions I’ve ever made, but I also like to keep them and their identity private.”

“But I also feel, I love talking about them because I want people to know that it’s possible to be happy and to have love and love really be enriching. I met my wife at 45. It’s ok to wait. You don’t have to be in your 20s looking for your soulmate when you don’t really know who the f-ck you are,” he finished.

Warner Reportedly Died By Drowning

According to ABC News, Warner drowned in Costa Rica on Sunday, and his cause of death was asphyxia, which is when the body does not receive enough oxygen.

News of his death sent a wave of shock and grief across social media, with many fans penning emotional tributes to the star.

Fans Send Love To Warner And His Family

On Instagram, one user shared a sobering perspective, writing, “Life is but a moment. May he rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to live on.”

Other users posted about how much his “Cosby Show” character meant to them.