Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s ‘Not All Hood’ Podcast To Host Virtual Remembrance Event For Late Actor

Malcolm-Jamal Warner will be honored in the most fitting way, by giving the mic to the people he moved with his voice.

Today (July 25) from 7 to 9 P.M. ET, the production team behind Warner’s Not All Hood (NAH) podcast will host a special virtual tribute, inviting the public to reflect on his life and lasting impact. The live event will stream across NAH‘s social media platforms and the Roland Martin Network. The event will be hosted by his co-host Candace Kelley, executive producer Layne Fontes, and creative director Troy Harris, Jr.

Friends, fans, and peers will have the opportunity to share personal memories, speak from the heart, and celebrate the legacy of a man who made contributed to Black storytelling. “The lines will be open for people in the community to speak,” reads the flyer for the event.

Confirmed guests include Erika Alexander, Lamman Rucker, Touré, Isaac Hayes III, Jessica Miesel, Dr. Daniel Black, Kimberly Latrice Jones, and Dr. Jay Barnett. The tribute will also feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Warner in his creative element.

This celebration of Warner comes just days after devastating news of his death shocked the entertainment community. The beloved actor and musician, known to many as Theo Huxtable from The Cosby Show, tragically drowned while swimming off the coast of Costa Rica on July 21.

Though fans quickly learned he passed while in the water, local authorities have since revealed that he wasn’t alone. Warner’s eight-year-old daughter was swimming with him at the time. Surfers nearby rushed to their aid and were able to rescue his daughter, pulling her onto a surfboard and getting her to safety. Sadly, Warner was swept away by a strong rip current. Emergency responders reportedly performed CPR for 45 minutes once he was brought ashore, but the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

An autopsy confirmed that the 53-year-old New Jersey native died from asphyxiation by submersion.

The Caribbean Guard, a volunteer lifeguard organization that regularly patrols Playa Grande, where the accident occurred, noted the beach’s known danger. “It’s a beach known for local surfers, and there are signs (in English and Spanish) warning of the danger of death from drowning,” they wrote in a statement. The group was not patrolling Playa Grande that day, as their resources were allocated to other beaches experiencing increased rip current incidents.

In the days since his passing, Hollywood has been grieving deeply. From Bill Cosby to Morris Chestnut, tributes have poured in. “Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Working alongside him on The Resident was an honor,” Chestnut shared. “He brought so much depth, warmth, and wisdom to every scene and every conversation. One of the nicest in the business. Rest easy, brother. Your legacy lives on.”

And that legacy will be amplified through Not All Hood‘s remembrance event.