'Blessing from God': Former co-stars remember Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Bill Cosby 

Andrew Wyatt, a spokesperson for Cosby, said in a statement to CBS News that Warner's death was "devastating," saying it reminded Cosby of the death of his real-life son Ennis, who was shot and killed in a robbery in 1997.

"It felt the same way," Wyatt said. 

On Monday, the 88-year-old actor told CBS News' Jericka Duncan that Warner was "never afraid to go to his room and study and make sure he followed whatever he had learned in the acting school he went to." The comedian said that he had last spoken with Warner three months ago, and the pair chatted about Warner's accomplishments in the music industry. 

In a separate statement this week to People, Wyatt shared that Cosby had said, "Malcolm was doing what he loved when he died — he was with his family."

"He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said 'Malcolm was changing humanity," Wyatt said.

In 2015, Warner issued a statement in response to multiple allegations and lawsuits from women accusing Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them. While the actor credited Cosby for what he described as the comedian's "invaluable" contributions to television, comedy and the black community, Warner admitted the allegations were "painful" for him to hear. 

"I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there," he told Billboard at the time. "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. I can't speak on the other stuff."

"Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this," he added.