Malcolm-Jamal Warner on Bill Cosby: 'It's Painful to Watch My Mentor Go Through This'

With his first Grammy nomination and a new album of his jazz and R&B-inflected spoken word on the horizon, 2015 is looking very bright for Malcolm-Jamal Warner. But as anyone who's been paying attention to the news knows, 2015 is shaping up much differently for his former The Cosby Show co-star, Bill Cosby.

While talking with Billboard about his musical career and the surprise Grammy nom for his work on Robert Glasper's Black Radio 2, Warner commented on the slew of allegations plaguing his former TV father.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner on His Grammy Nomination & Upcoming Album

"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 tells Billboard. "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.

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"I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there. The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know. I can't speak on the other stuff."

Billboard's full interview with Malcolm-Jamal Warner -- where he talks about his Grammy nom, his upcoming album and his "love-hate relationship with hip-hop" -- is right here.