Jaleel White Says Michelle Thomas Once Convinced His Parents to Let Him Go Out 'Past Curfew' with Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Virginia ChamleeTue, June 30, 2026 at 2:20 PM UTC

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Jaleel White; Michelle Thomas; Malcolm-Jamal WarnerCredit: Arturo Holmes/WireImage; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty -

Jaleel White is opening up about his relationship with late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner

In a new interview, White revealed Warner was a trusted friend his mother allowed him to spend time with during their younger years

White reflected on Warner's connection to Michelle Thomas, who worked with White and dated Warner before her own passing

Jaleel White is opening up about how close he was with late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

White, 49, starred as Steve Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters from 1989 to 1998 while Warner starred as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992.

Speaking on a recent episode of Sherri with Sherri Shepherd, the 49-year-old actor shared that his and Warner's mothers were close and that the two became close themselves.

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner and actress Michelle ThomasCredit: on Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

"Our mothers were close," he said. "And you know Malcolm was the blueprint. I mean, he was on The Cosby Show. He was Theo."

The two saw their lives intersect further when White began working with Michelle Thomas, who dated Warner and played Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show and Myra Monkhouse on Family Matters.

White continued of Warner: "He was one of the few people that my mom would actually let me go out with and when he was involved with Michelle Thomas, she was my co-star."

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"But Michelle was always just like an older sister to me," White said. "I remember Michelle talking my mom into letting me go out with him one night past curfew, which was like a big big deal."

White continued, adding of Warner's death: "So you know, Malcolm always had a special place in my heart and obviously that was just ridiculously tragic news when it happened."

Warner died on July 21, 2025, after drowning while on a trip in Costa Rica. He was 54.

Thomas died in 1998 at age 30 after being diagnosed with a rare cancer.

Though Thomas and Warner broke up four years prior to her death, he was by her side at the end, with PEOPLE previously reporting that Warner flew to New York City from Los Angeles to be at her bedside.

Before her death, the actress whispered a special endearment to Warner: “Elephant juice,” which the actor earlier shared was "always our thing."

“Looks like you’re saying, ‘I love you.’ ... When I saw her, I said, ‘Elephant juice.’ She smiled and said, ‘Elephant juice,’ ” he told PEOPLE previously.

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