Malcolm Jamal Warner Cause of Death: 'Cosby' Star Dies Tragically at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who came to fame as a star on The Cosby Show, has died tragically in Costa Rica.

He was the beloved character Theo on the hit sitcom.

How did he die? What was Malcolm-Jamal Warner's cause of death? 

According to ABC 6, Warner's "official cause of death was asphyxia."

That account came from Costa Rican police, who told ABC that the actor "died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica."

Costa Rican authorities told ABC that Warner's body was discovered on the afternoon of July 20 and that he "was caught by a high current in the water."

According to People, Warner's death is considered a drowning. He was only 54 years old at the time of his death. TMZ also reported that Warner drowned, calling his death an "accidental drowning."

The actor "was in Costa Rica on a family vacation and drowned while swimming," a source told People.

News of the tragic death broke on July 21.

From 1984 to 1992, Warner played Bill Cosby's only son, Theo Huxtable.

Over the years, Warner had expressed pride in the sitcom.

"I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of," he said to People in 2023.

Although it's being described by People's source as a family vacation, it's not clear who was along on the trip when Warner died. According to TMZ, he is survived by a wife and daughter, although he kept their identities private.

Warner had more than 700,000 followers on Instagram. Warner previously dated Southland actress Regina King. According to US Weekly, they broke up in 2013.

"He said he wasn't feeling it anymore," a source told US at the time, declaring that King was "brokenhearted" by the split.

Related: Anne Burrell's Cause of Death Being Investigated as Possible 'Drug Overdose,' Reports Say