Who is Tracee Ellis Ross? Everything to know about Malcolm-Jamal Warner's "TV wife"

The Girlfriends star, Tracee Ellis Ross, is an actress who starred alongside Malcolm‑Jamal Warner on the family sitcom Reed Between the Lines, which aired from 2011 to 2015. In the show, she played the role of Dr. Carla Reed.

After the news of Warner's passing from accidental drowning on Sunday took over the internet, Tracee, Warner's ''TV wife,'' paid an emotional tribute on Instagram shortly after. In her heartfelt message, she honored him as her first TV husband from their time on Reed Between the Lines.

Warner died in Costa Rica and was 54 at the time of his death.

More about Tracee Ellis Ross

On July 21, Ross shared an Instagram tribute post for Warner with a series of pictures of the two from their time on the sitcom. She wrote:

''I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant.''

She continued:

''You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss.''

The Primetime Emmy Award nominee also starred in several other sitcoms, including the ABC comedy series Black-ish, the teen-comedy drama Grown-ish, the 2022 sketch comedy series The Kids in the Hall, the 2025 anthology series Black Mirror, and the 2018 American series Portlandia.

Tracee also appeared in several films, from thoughtful indie projects to mainstream dramas and family comedies. Some of these include the 2006 comedy film I‑See‑You.Com, in which she played Nancy Tanaka, the 2007 romantic drama, Daddy’s Little Girls, Life Support, in which she portrayed Tanya, the thriller film Cold Copy, in which she played Diane Heger, a influential journalist, and the 2023 holiday comedy film Candy Cane Lane, in which Ross plays Carol alongside Eddie Murphy.

In an Upscale magazine interview, Tracee described the initial spark with Warner while they were collaborating on Reed Between the Lines in 2011. She said:

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''I didn’t have a picture in my head of who should be my (onscreen husband) and first moment with him was so palpable… doing scenes with Malcolm does not feel like acting. It’s like it just happens, and I think that’s the magic that people long for.''

As of 2025, Tracee is set to debut her travel series titled Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross. She was last seen in the thriller film Cold Copy and the satirical drama, American Fiction.

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