News: Former 'Cosby' Kid Malcolm-Jamal Warner: "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me"

Malcolm-Jamal Warner played Theo Huxtable for eight seasons of The Cosby Show, and now says that he finds it "painful" to watch his former sitcom dad accused of sexually assaulting numerous women.

"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," the actor says in an interview with 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.''

Admitting he never witnessed any evidence of misconduct during his years on The Cosby Show, Warner is clearly saddened by the allegations of more than 30 different women who've come forward with claims that Cosby drugged them and then raped them.

"I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there," he says. "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he's done forcomedy 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."