The family battle over Malcolm-Jamal Warner‘s estate has taken another contentious turn.
The late actor’s mother, Pamela Warner, is firing back at his widow, Tenisha Warner, and claims she rejected an attempted multimillion-dollar resolution before taking their dispute to court.
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According to TMZ, Pamela argues in new court filings that she tried to resolve the matter privately with Tenisha and offered to give Malcolm’s daughter, Mackenzie, the overwhelming majority of the trust he left behind.
Pamela claims the proposed arrangement included a $2 million life insurance policy, a separate Georgia trust connected to the home Malcolm purchased for his wife and daughter, and a retirement account left to Tenisha reportedly worth $2.4 million.
She alleges Tenisha declined the proposal and proceeded with her lawsuit instead.
As reported, Tenisha sued Pamela in July, seeking more than $1.2 million she says Malcolm promised her under their 2022 prenuptial agreement. Her claims include an unfulfilled $1 million life insurance policy and compensation she alleges she was owed for working as his chief of staff and assistant.
Pamela has now asked the court to dismiss that lawsuit, maintaining that her son always intended for his mother to receive part of his estate because of their close relationship and her longtime role as his manager.
The filing follows Pamela’s separate settlement with Mackenzie’s court-appointed guardians, which still requires court approval.
Malcolm died aged 54 following an accidental drowning in Costa Rica in July 2025.
