lengthy statement

Pamela Warner, the mother of late “Cosby Show” star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, looked beyond loss and offered some comfort to his fans as she broke her silence about his sudden death in July.

The elder Warner created an Instagram page dedicated to her son’s legacy and on Friday released a contemplative and lengthy statement saying the actor-musician “was at peace and more importantly, he did not suffer.” Warner, who was best known for his portrayal of clean-cut Theodore Huxtable, drowned while swimming in the Caribbean off Costa Rica. He was 54.

Pamela Warner reflected on her son’s accomplishments in TV, music and his personal life, honoring her son as a “kind, loving man with a huge heart for humanity” and an “exceptional” family man. In addition to his mother, the actor is survived by his wife and daughter.

“Malcolm left an indelible mark on the world and on countless hearts,” she wrote. “All who met him, however briefly, were better for the encounter.”

While she mourned the loss of her “teacher, coach, confidant, business partner, and best friend,” Pamela Warner also reflected on giving birth to him more than 50 years ago. She said she felt “blessed that he chose me to be his mother, to come into the world through the waters of my womb.” She went on to offer a full-circle perspective on her son’s death.

“Malcolm was birthed through water and he transitioned through water,” she wrote. “He departed as he arrived, through water. This was his time. His mission on earth had been completed.”

The Emmy-nominated actor was on vacation with his family at the time of his death. He was swimming when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean. The Red Cross in Costa Rica said its first responders also tended to another man caught in the same current that claimed Warner’s life. The patient, whose identity was not disclosed, survived. First responders found Warner without vital signs, and he was taken to the morgue.

Pamela Warner’s statement joins the collection of tributes honoring her son’s life. Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s co-stars including Bill Cosby, Geoffrey Owens and Raven-Symoné and, more recently, Keshia Knight Pulliam have mourned his death.

“A week ago I lost my big brother but I gained an angel,” Pulliam said of her TV brother on social media.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a multi-faceted entertainer who in addition to acting also pursued a Grammy-winning music career. After his time on “The Cosby Show” he also directed episodes for several other TV shows. Warner’s mother’s statement acknowledged his reach, encouraging his fans and loved ones to “Hold close to whatever part of Malcolm’s life that touched yours.”

Her statement concluded: “In keeping it near, you keep his spirit alive — nourishing you with the peace, love, joy and light that embodied Malcolm-Jamal Warner.”

This season of “Love Island USA” has lost yet another contestant after their past use of a racial slur resurfaced online: Cierra Ortega left the villa and will not return.

“Love Island USA” narrator Iain Stirling announced during the Sunday episode that Ortega, 25, had departed the hit dating competition series to deal with “a personal situation.” Though he did not provide additional details about her exit, Ortega recently landed in hot water for her repeated use of a slur for Chinese people — and often Asian people in general — after social media posts resurfaced online.

In an Instagram story from 2023 that made the rounds on Reddit and X, Ortega used the slur as she explained her Botox procedures, writing, “I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes and get that snatched look.”

Another post that raised flags among critics was a 2020 TikTok video where Ortega uses a version of the slur to describe her smile in an Instagram caption. “Love Island USA” streamer Peacock and parent company NBCUniversal did not comment to The Times about the terms of Ortega’s exit, but the reality star’s parents spoke out online about “one of the most painful weeks of our lives.”

In a lengthy statement shared to Ortega’s Instagram story Sunday evening, her parents wrote, “We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate.” While acknowledging the outcry and upset around the resurfaced posts, Ortega’s parents alleged that their daughter has also been subject to online hate including threats and “cruel messages.” Ortega’s family, friends and supporters have been caught in the crossfire, they wrote: “it’s heartbreaking.”

The statement added: “It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”

The missive also confirmed that “Cierra is not in the villa” and had yet to “process any of this or speak for herself.” Confident that Ortega will “face this with honesty, growth and grace,” her parents wrote that the reality TV personality will take accountability on her own terms.

Ortega left “Love Island” a month after contestant Yulissa Escobar faced similar backlash. Escobar was out by the season’s second episode amid social media outcry over her use of a slur for Black people. Video posted on Reddit and TMZ showed Escobar using the slur during a podcast conversation. Escobar apologized for using the slur, writing in a statement that she “used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it.”

Until Ortega breaks her silence on the controversy, her parents said they have a request for supporters and critics alike: “We’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency.”

The “Love Island USA” Season 7 finale will air Sunday on Peacock.