Malcolm-Jamal Warner was known for keeping his personal life deeply private — so much so that the names of his wife and daughter have never been publicly revealed.
While he occasionally posted glimpses of them on Instagram, he was careful to shield their identities, especially never showing his daughter’s face.
But in a touching 2021 Instagram post, Warner opened up about his very first date with his now-wife. He poured out his love for both her and their daughter, expressing a deep sense of gratitude and joy — a message that now feels even more emotional in the wake of his passing.
Warner tragically died on July 20 while vacationing in Costa Rica with his wife and daughter. According to the Caribbean Guard, he was caught in a powerful rip current while swimming and was pulled under. Despite efforts from nearby beachgoers and paramedics, he could not be revived, the volunteer lifeguard group shared in a Facebook statement.
The emotional post featured a photo of Warner icing a cake, accompanied by a candid caption about how it all began.
“On our first date, neither of us was really checking for the other. We met through a mutual friend and were pretty clear that this was not going to become anything other than maybe a cool friendship,” he wrote.
“I even stated on that first date that I wasn’t really checking for having kids. She was clear that she was. We were clear we were on different pages. And we were good. I had already decided the next chapters of my life would be about something bigger than family,” Warner continued.
“5 1/2 months later I was the one who asked, ‘So, how would you feel about starting a family?’” Warner wrote. “No, we didn’t start immediately. We took more time to experience each other to make sure it was more than a cool concept.”
He continued, “Never in my wildest dreams did I envision that a few years later I’d be making my very first cake with the help of the beautiful manifestation of our love, who is truly our ‘mini us.’ Our 3-year-old daughter wanted us to make Mommy a chocolate strawberry birthday cake.”
“So we made one together. From scratch. Almond flour, brown coconut sugar, organic cacao powder, coconut oil—you know, healthy-ish side of things. Made the strawberry buttercream frosting from scratch as well. Beginner’s luck? We’ll see, but that jawn was banging…” he added.
“Whatever ‘bigger than family’ ideas I had in my head before these two beautiful spirits came into my life are now fueled to be even bigger. Life is even more fulfilling. As Luther once sang, ‘the wine tastes sweeter.’”
“When people ask me how I’m doing, I often tell them that I am living the motherf****** dream. And on the days it doesn’t feel like it, I just remind myself that I’m still living SOMEBODY’s dream. And I press on. I am so FULL now. Of Love. Of joy. Of gratefulness,” Warner wrote.
