Pamela Warner, the mother of late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, is pushing back against claims made by his widow Tenisha, alleging that she offered the woman a settlement worth $4 million from her son’s estate.
Shortly after making it to the one-year anniversary of the passing of the beloved actor, his mother was hit with a lawsuit from his grieving widow who claimed that she had been left without things she was promised from her late husband. Among them was a life insurance policy worth $1 million that she claimed was part of their prenuptial agreement as well as monies she was owed from acting as Malcolm’s chief of staff and assistant, the which he promised to compensate her with $5,000 monthly.
Despite carrying out her duties, Tenisha claimed that her late husband failed to meet his before his passing, assuming that he would have if given more time. Pamela, however, claims that her son always intended to give her a large portion of his estate in the event of his demise due to their longstanding relationship as business partners throughout his 30 year career in Hollywood.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Pamela says she offered to take a one-time payout from the late actor’s estate while leaving the majority of it to her granddaughter, Mackenzie. She also reported on the existence of other assets including a $2 million life insurance policy, a Georgia trust used to purchase a home for Tenisha and MacKenzie, and a retirement account worth approximately $2.4 million that was left to Tenisha. She alleges that Tenisha refused her offer in favor of securing more funds for herself to the tune of over $1 million. Pamela also claims that she has already reached a settlement agreement with her granddaughter’s court appointed guardian that she is asking the judge to approve; however, that will not signal the end of her dispute with Tenisha.
In July, Tenisha made her first public appearance since Malcolm’s passing when she sat down with Good Morning America’s Gayle King to discuss the grief she and her daughter carry daily.
“The emotional capacity that I have can be very limited sometimes, you know?” she said. “And so, I have to, for myself, decide, what do I have to give right now in this moment? And whatever I have to give, the first person to get that is my daughter. And then the second is myself.”
After her lawsuit was made public, Tenisha released a statement saying,
“For the last year, I have attempted to privately settle my beloved husband’s complicated estate and honor his last wishes. Malcolm had every intention to provide for our 9-year-old daughter and me. 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.”
At the time of his death, Malcolm’s estate was set up to bestow Pamela the largest portion of his earnings, something that Tenisha claims was an outdated decision that was in the process of being changed. Wishing the best for all of Malcom’s loved ones!
