Malcolm-Jamal Warner died by drowning in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025, leaving a wife, Tenisha, and a daughter. A year later, Tenisha filed a lawsuit against Pamela Warner, the late actor’s mother and successor trustee of the Warner Family Trust, alleging unpaid obligations under a prenuptial agreement and the trust provisions. The suit itemizes payments including a $1 million life insurance policy, Roth IRA contributions, annual payments, and a salary for Tenisha as chief of staff, totaling at least $1,276,042.46, and seeks relief from the trust and related assets while challenging distributions. Tenisha describes a strained relationship with Pamela amid grief and single parenthood, and Pamela has publicly reflected on grief and healing during the same period. Public reporting notes Pamela’s role as trustee and ongoing coverage of the dispute, with Pamela’s posts cited as context for the family dynamics. The core dispute remains a challenge to premarital terms and control of Warner’s remaining assets, with filings across California and Georgia.