File photo: Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner attends the 2014 Ebony Power 100 Gala at The Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Associated Press)
Malcolm-Jamal Warner says it's difficult to see Bill Cosby face allegations of sexual assault.
Warner, who played Cosby's son Theo in the hit 1984-1992 sitcom "The Cosby Show," told Billboard magazine that the comedian has been an important mentor and friend to him.
The 44-year-old Warner didn't directly address the allegations made by at least 15 women, citing a lack of first-hand knowledge.
But he said that it's as painful to watch Cosby face the allegations as it is to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not.=
"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," Warner said. "What he's done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know."
Cosby, 77, has not been charged with a crime and through his attorney, has denied allegations, some of them dating back decades, that he drugged and assaulted women.
The Billboard interview with Warner, a Grammy nominee for his work on Robert Glasper's "Black Radio 2," was published online Wednesday.