Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow has filed a lawsuit against the actor’s mother, who oversees his family trust, one year after his death.
The suit, filed in Georgia earlier this week, alleges Tenisha Warner is owed more than $1.2 million under the couple’s prenuptial agreement.
Tenisha claims her late husband failed to maintain a $1 million life insurance policy naming her as beneficiary. She also claims he did not make other agreed-upon payments and owes her salary for serving as his chief of staff.
According to USA TODAY, which cited court documents, the Warner Family Trust that was established in 1996 left 70% of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s assets to his mother Pamela, 15% to his late father, Robert Warner Jr., and 15% to his half-sister Collage.
FROM THE ARCHIVES | What would happen to your estate if you died tomorrow?
However, Tenisha said the fund was established decades before the actor met her and they were married and had their daughter. Tenisha told USA TODAY in a statement that Malcolm had been working to finalize a new estate plan before his death.
His widow also told media outlets that she tried to settle the estate privately before taking legal action.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner died in June of last year from an accidental drowning while vacationing in Costa Rica. He was 54 years old.
The Emmy-nominated actor is widely known for playing Theodore Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.”
