Late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner‘s mother, Pamela Warner, is speaking out amid her ongoing legal dispute over his estate.
In July, one year after “The Cosby Show” alum died from an accidental drowning at age 54, his widow Tenisha Warner sued Pamela Warner, the trustee of his family trust, for access to financial support for her and their 9-year-old daughter, MacKenzie Warner.
In an Aug. 13 statement obtained by USA TODAY, a representative for Pamela Warner denied she attempted to withhold funds from her granddaughter and said a settlement has since been reached.
“On behalf of Pamela Warner, Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mother and lifelong business manager, we share the following to address the recent saddening public statements by Tenisha Warner,” the statement began. “Pamela continues to grieve the sudden loss of her son, Malcolm. She remains focused on protecting his legacy and the well-being of his daughter and family.”
“Recent claims that Pamela sought to prevent her granddaughter from receiving financial support are untrue,” it continued. “Malcolm was thoughtful and deliberate in his estate planning to include all his loved ones. While the trust at issue is in favor of Pamela, his father, and his sister, Malcolm provided for his wife and daughter separate and apart from that trust to the tune of millions of dollars.”
The statement went on to say that Pamela Warner “attempted to resolve these matters privately” before it went to court, and said she and representatives appointed for MacKenzie Warner have come to an agreement that “provides for Malcolm’s daughter to receive the majority remainder of the Trust and Estate.”
“The Settlement also memorializes that it is in the best interest of Malcolm’s daughter to have a relationship with her grandmother, Pamela,” it concluded. “Pamela remains hopeful that all parties will support the resolution and that her granddaughter will receive the full benefit of Malcolm’s legacy without further delay.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Tenisha Warner’s attorneys for comment.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner and his mother Pamela Warner attend the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 26, 2009, in Washington, DC.
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Why did Tenisha Warner sue Pamela Warner?
In the lawsuit, Tenisha Warner claimed Malcolm-Jamal Warner was in the process of forming a new estate plan the time of his death, but it was not finalized. Because of this, she said she nor their daughter were included in the “outdated revocable trust” he made when he was 26, under which Pamela Warner inherited 70% of his assets, while 15% went to his late father and the other 15% to his half-sister.
“This was not Malcolm’s intent,” Tenisha Warner wrote in the filing.
She further accused Pamela Warner of preventing access to the money and selling Tenisha Warner and the “Malcolm & Eddie” star’s first family home in Los Angeles against her wishes. “This is the home where MacKenzie first lived and where she developed the very first core memories of her father,” she wrote.
Tenisha Warner also claimed she is owed more than $1.2 million under a premarital agreement, which she said required Malcolm-Jamal Warner to maintain $1 million life insurance policies on both their lives, a Roth IRA for her and pay a $5,000 per month salary for 39 months and $16,000 on every marriage anniversary.
The pair met in 2015 and tied the knot in 2017. They welcomed MacKenzie Warner that same year.
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She said in a statement shared with USA TODAY last month that she tried to privately settle her “beloved husband’s complicated estate and honor his last wishes,” but ultimately decided to take it to court.
“I have been struggling to care for our daughter as a single mom and now as her sole provider. Legally, I had no choice but to take action to protect our rights before any potential statute of limitations expired,” she said.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mother denies withholding money from his daughter