Widow of Malcolm-Jamal Warner files lawsuit against mother-in-law over trust
Tenisha Warner, the widow of the late actor, has sued his mother, the trust's successor trustee, seeking more than $1.2 million while discussing her grief and responsibilities as a single mother.
One year after Malcolm-Jamal Warner died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, his widow Tenisha Warner filed a lawsuit against his mother, Pamela Warner, who serves as successor trustee of the family trust. The complaint alleges that the trust failed to provide a $1 million term life insurance policy that was reportedly required by a premarital agreement, and seeks to recover at least that amount.
In an exclusive interview with CBS Mornings conducted before the filing became public, Tenisha Warner spoke about coping with her loss and raising their nine-year-old daughter alone. > "Right now, everybody, like all of his family members and, who have lost him, they are grieving," she said. > "The emotional capacity that I have can be very limited sometimes, and so I have to decide what I have to give right now. The first person to get that is my daughter, and then the second is myself."
A spokesperson for Tenisha Warner issued a statement after the lawsuit was filed, saying the family had tried to settle the estate privately and that Malcolm had intended to provide for his wife and daughter, but was unable to finalize a new estate plan before his death.
CBS Mornings has contacted Pamela Warner’s attorneys for comment but has not received a response.