(CNN) — Malcolm-Jamal Warner, an actor and artist who rose to fame as a child as Theodore Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died, according to a source close to the actor.

He was 54.

Warner died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family, the source said.

CNN has reached out to representatives for Warner for further information.

A native of New Jersey, Warner started acting at age 9, making appearances in shows like “Fame.” He was a young teen when he was cast as the only son of Bill Cosby’s character, Heathcliff Huxtable, in “The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1984 to 1992.

Warner later reflected on the legacy of the popular, Emmy-winning sitcom.

“The fact that the Cosby Show for Black America and White America alike finally legitimized the Black middle class, which has always been around since the inception of this country but, as with everything, is not legitimate til it’s on television,” Warner said. “When the show first came out, there were White people and Black people talking about (how) the Huxtables don’t really exist, Black people don’t really live like that. Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters from people saying, thank you so much for this show.”

Warner was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1986 for his supporting work on “The Cosby Show.”

By the time the show was over, Warner said in a 2013 interview, “we were still on top enough to go out on top, but we were ready to live our own lives.”

“We were all ready to move on and as Mr. Cosby said, by that point, we had pretty much said all that we could say,” Warner added.

After the perennial hit series ended in 1992, the actor continued working primarily in television until recently, with credits including “Touched by an Angel,” “Community,” “Key and Peele,” “Suits,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “American Horror Story.”

Warner’s comments on Cosby’s misconduct allegations

Warner acknowledged his sadness in 2015 when sexual misconduct allegations about Bill Cosby came to light, saying he felt the sitcom’s legacy had been “tarnished” by the allegations.

“My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film, no matter what … negative stereotypes of people of color, we’ve always had ‘The Cosby Show’ to hold up against that,” Warner told The Associated Press in an interview at the time.

Cosby was released from prison in 2021 after Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his 2018 sexual assault conviction, saying Cosby’s due process rights were violated. Cosby was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in a state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in 2004.

In a 2015 interview with Billboard magazine, Warner spoke about how “painful” it is to watch Cosby, who he described a major influence in his life, become the subject of rape allegations.

“He’s one of my mentors, and he’s been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor,” Warner said at the time. “Just as it’s painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it’s just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this.”

Warner’s life beyond acting

As much as he honored the Theo character, Warner also worked hard to show how multifaceted he was, including being a Grammy-winning musician.

He won best traditional R&B performance in 2015 for the song “Jesus Children.” He was also nominated for a Grammy in 2023 for best spoken word poetry album.

Both as a musician, and then as a parent, Warner talked to CNN in 2017 about his excitement in those roles.

“Being a new parent, I have a lot of new material for the music,” he said at the time. “It’s really awesome and right now, my daughter’s four months so I don’t have to tell her ‘no.’”

Warner also starred opposite Eddie Griffin in the series “Malcolm & Eddie” for four seasons between 1996 and 2000.

His more recent acting credits include “The Resident,” “The Wonder Years” reboot, “Grownish” and “9-1-1.”

Last year, Warner launched his podcast “Not All Hood” last year with the goal of continuing to be a voice that explores the diverse experiences of the Black community and touch on themes of representation in media.

“When we talk about the Black community, we tend to speak of it as a monolith when the reality is there are so many different facets of the Black community, and we wanted to have a space where we can really explore, discuss, and acknowledge all of those different aspects,” he told People magazine in an interview last year.

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — A big turnout is expected Thursday evening at the Fort Ben Farmer’s Market, and city leaders say they’re ready to put on a show.

As part of WISH-TV’s “Wish You Were Here” series, the News 8 team is heading to Lawrence this week to spotlight the community’s growing list of family-friendly events and local talent. One of the highlights: :
More than 40 vendors expected to line Civic Plaza at the farmer’s market.

“We have excellent performers. We have great vendors. We just have a lot of fun out there,” said Jami Weirich, director of communications for city events in Lawrence.

This Thursday’s featured act is Mississippi Raglips and the River Dogs, one of several musical groups slated to perform this summer. Alongside them, you’ll find an impressive lineup of Indiana-made goods – all local, all handmade.

“Everything is either Indiana grown or handmade in Indiana, so it’s all local. It’s not from outside of the state,” Weirich said.

The market also shines a light on young talent. “We have about 40 vendors that will be there, including some Sprouts, which are young entrepreneurs who are between the ages of 5 and 17,” she added.

But the Fort Ben Farmer’s Market is just the start of what city leaders hope people discover.

“Our community comes out and they support us all the time,” Weirich said. “We just had a backpack giveaway and about 300 people came out to support that. The volunteers and the organizations that came out, they really support us.”

That kind of turnout, Weirich says, is part of what makes Lawrence different. “I think that’s what a lot of people miss from Lawrence, that sense of community.”

The weekly market is held every Thursday and includes six food trucks. And as summer transitions to fall, the city has even more on the way.

“In August, we will have Community Safety Day. We have a barbecue, that is big and exciting,” she said. “And our Winterfest, we do our tree lighting, and then every weekend after that we have ice skating and a hot chocolate bar.”

The Fort Ben Farmer’s Market runs every Thursday evening through early fall at Civic Plaza in Lawrence.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says it is investigating a Sunday afternoon crash in Carroll County that left one woman seriously injured.

According to the department, Indiana Conservation Officers responded to an accident report near County Road 900 North and Meridian Road.

When they arrived, they discovered that Randall Kesling, 67, from Delphi, was driving an off-road vehicle when he suddenly lost control, causing it to roll over.

He was thrown out of the vehicle and sustained minor injuries.

However, the passenger, 62-year-old Teresa Kesling, also from Delphi, had to be extracted by first responders.

She was flown to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with “severe head injuries” and cuts.

Neither Teresa or Randall Kesling had helmets on, and only Teresa Kesling was wearing her seatbelt.

Officers are using the accident to remind people that they should always wear protective gear — like helmets and seatbelts — when driving or riding in an off-road vehicle.

The department also wants people to review state law and safe operating procedures to avoid accidents like these.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Legendary Bloomington journalist Bob Hammel died Saturday at the age of 88.

The IU Athletics X page mourned the loss Sunday.

Hammel told the stories of not only IU sports, but nationally and world-wide. A writer who penned stories on sporting events from the 1972 Munich Olympics to the perfect season of Hoosier basketball in 1976 to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Hammel was a former sports editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times and wrote Bob Knight’s memoir, Knight: My Story. Hammel helmed the Herald-Times sports department for 30 years, from 1966-1996.

A veteran journalist with a career spanning 50 years, including 30 years as sports editor and 40 years as a columnist at the Bloomington Herald-Times, Hammel covered over 1,000 Indiana University (IU) football and basketball games.

Throughout his illustrious career, the journalist covered 3 NCAA basketball championships and the school’s first 8 bowl games. He represented the nation’s smallest regularly credentialed newspaper in covering 5 Olympic Games and 23 NCAA Basketball Final Fours.

Hammel also covered IU athletes in Olympic basketball, track and swimming trials, and NCAA track, swimming, and soccer championship events. His coverage extended to 29 Indiana high school basketball championship games. He is the only person to have been President of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Hammel’s contributions to sports journalism have been recognized with several prestigious awards. He is cited in the International Basketball Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award, the College Football Hall of Fame with the Football Writers’ Bert McGrane Award, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a Silver Medal recipient.

Hammel was named Indiana Sportswriter of the Year 17 times and has been inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Sportswriters and Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

In addition to his journalism career, he authored or co-authored 11 books, including ‘Glory of Old IU,’ a 100-year history of Indiana University Athletics, published in 1999. His most recent book is ‘The Bill Cook Story,’ released in September 2008.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Veteran homelessness in Indianapolis has decreased by 26% over the past year, according to a new report from Helping Veterans and Families of Indiana.

The point-in-time count, a federal requirement to assess homelessness, published on Thursday revealed this significant reduction in veteran homelessness in the city. This progress is attributed to HVAF’s efforts in providing housing with supportive services to veterans.

Amy Hildebrand, chief executive officer of HVAF, says the solution to homelessness is housing with supportive services. “That’s what we do at HVAF every day for veterans in our community,” she added.

Last October, HVAF faced a setback when a fire nearly destroyed their largest transitional housing property, the Manchester Apartments on Pennsylvania Street.

However, the organization quickly began planning for the future and recently celebrated the reopening of the renovated building.

The renovations at Manchester Apartments will eventually add 14 more housing units and double the pantry space, enhancing HVAF’s capacity to serve veterans. As part of a community-wide initiative, 24 veterans were recently moved into the newly renovated apartments.

Hildebrand continues to focus on its mission to end veteran homelessness, working closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the local community.

Despite the 26% reduction, Hildebrand says there are still many veterans facing homelessness.

“Veterans are more likely to be homeless than nonveterans, especially women veterans, who are two-to-three times more likely to be homeless than any other adult in the U.S,” Hildebrand said.

Community support remains crucial, with HVAF encouraging financial donations and volunteer efforts to sustain their programs and maintain their properties.

“We (still) have a lot of work to do,” she said.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s been a gloomy start to the morning. Clouds will decrease later today as rain chances move out.

TODAY: Isolated showers and storms are possible south of Indianapolis, but most spots will be dry for today. Cloudy skies will be sticking around before breaking up during the late afternoon and evening hours. High temperatures in the mid-80s.

TONIGHT: Mostly clear and finally more comfortable. Low temperatures in the mid-60s. A few spots slip back into the 50s in eastern Indiana.

TOMORROW: A pleasant day considering the broad weather pattern we have been stuck in. Partly cloudy skies are expected. High temperatures in the mid to upper 80s.

7-DAY FORECAST: Hot and humid conditions return to close the week. Multiple days will have heat index values in the triple digits. Rain chances increase across our area going into a busy weekend locally.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At least one person died Monday morning in a crash on Indy’s far east side near Interstate 70, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Online police reports show IMPD officers were called to southbound Post Road near the I-70 off ramp just before 9 a.m. for an accident with injuries involving a silver truck and a red car.

IMPD Public Information Officer Drew Brown told News 8 at the scene that when officers arrived, they located both drivers in their vehicles.

The woman driving of the red car died at the scene, while the man in the pickup truck was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Brown says the pickup driver was in stable condition as of 10:15 a.m. and was assisting with the investigation.

Officers say they believe the woman was exiting off the I-70 ramp to turn left onto North Post Road when she was hit by the silver pickup truck.

The truck driver also submitted to a blood test, which is standard in Indiana when there is a fatal accident.

IMPD says the southbound lanes of Post Road from the I-70 off-ramp will be closed for several hours while investigators are on the scene.

Traffic on I-70 will not be impacted, according to INDOT.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A brief break from hot and muggy conditions is expected before another round of intense heat returns to central Indiana this week.

Today;

Showers are slowly moving out of the state this morning along a slow-moving boundary that has been draped across the region since the start of the weekend. Expect showers to continue pushing south and southwest throughout the morning, leaving most areas dry with mostly cloudy skies early and partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies by late afternoon.

High temperatures will reach the mid-80s, which is reasonable. Humidity will be elevated but not extremely high, making for a pleasant afternoon.

Tonight:

Very pleasant conditions are expected overnight with drier air in place and mostly clear skies. Overnight lows will fall to the mid-60s across the state.

Tuesday:

Tuesday should be another nice day with sunny skies from start to finish. Slightly warmer temperatures are expected, but humidity will remain in check. Highs will reach the mid- to upper 80s.

Extreme heat returns:

Humidity will begin to rise as early as late Tuesday night. Combined with a large heat dome building over the eastern half of the region, we are in for a stretch of dangerous heat and humidity through the end of the week. Expect highs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to reach the low 90s. With dewpoints in the low to mid-70s, heat indices will likely exceed 100°F and, at times, surpass 105°F.

Additionally, overnight lows will only drop to the mid-70s, providing little relief during the night.

Rain returns late week:

The forecast should remain dry until at least early Thursday. A few pop-up storms may develop Thursday afternoon. Increased chances for rain and storms will begin Friday as the upper-level ridge starts to flatten, allowing for better precipitation chances. The best chance for rain appears to be at the start of the weekend on Saturday, with numerous showers and thunderstorms possible and highs in the upper 80s. Chances for storms will continue through Sunday to close out the weekend, with highs near 90°F. The long-range pattern keeps us hot early next week, with highs pushing 90°F through midweek, only returning to seasonable temperatures by the end of July.

The 8- to 14-day outlook also shows strong signals of above-average temperatures as we begin the month of August.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Demonstrators on Sunday gathered outside the offices of Indiana Republicans, protesting increased funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Dozens rallied outside Sen. Todd Young’s office in Carmel, calling for investments in communities, not ICE. The “Big Beautiful Bill” passed this week, which includes tens of billions in funding for ramping up deportations, adding 10,000 new ICE agents, and establishing detention centers for people in the country illegally.

“We’re here to say we want the government to invest in our communities, not in ICE, not in terrorizing our communities,” said Emily TeKolste, a protester. “That we deserve healthcare, we deserve housing, we deserve food, we deserve education, and that families deserve to live in peace.”

Simultaneous protests were organized outside offices for Representatives Rudy Yakym and Victoria Spartz. News 8 reached out for comment and has not heard back.

KERRVILLE, Texas (WISH) — Indiana Task Force 1 shared a new look at their deployment in flood-ravaged Texas. The team of first responders is now in their 12th day of helping with search operations along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas. The flooding that occurred between July 4 – July 10 has left the area muddy, wet, and debris-filled with rough terrain.

Task Force 1 is said to be in good health, focused on their mission, and asking to be kept in Hoosiers’ thoughts.