It’s been over seven years since Robin Williams passed away tragically, but his lively spirit and the impact he made continue to live on in our memories.
Robin’s death deeply affected people worldwide. Many thought depression and drug use played a role in his decision to end his life. However, it’s now known that something else entirely led to Robin Williams’s passing.
That’s why Robin’s widow, Susan Schneider Williams, chose to share the truth about what really caused her husband’s death.
In 1988, Robin Williams and Valeria separated. There were rumors that Robin had an affair with his son’s nanny, Marsha Garces, but Valeria has denied this. However, after the divorce, Robin married Marsha.
In 1989, Robin and Marsha got married while she was pregnant. They had two children together, Zelda (born in 1989) and Cody (born in 1991). Sadly, Robin’s second marriage didn’t work out well either. Marsha filed for divorce in 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.
Robin Williams & Susan Schneider
Three years after Robin’s second divorce, he met his soulmate, Susan Schneider. They first met at a local Apple store in late 2007, where they had a brief chat.
“I walked in and saw this man, and I thought, ‘I think that’s Robin Williams.’ Then, on my way out, I looked at him again, and he was smiling at me. Something inside me said, ‘Oh, just go over and say hi,'” Susan said.
They tied the knot in 2011. The ceremony was held at the Meadowood luxury resort in Napa Valley, California.
Shutterstock
About 120 guests were invited to the simple wedding, mostly family, close friends, and neighbors. Robin and Susan had a clear idea of how they wanted their wedding to be. There weren’t any big celebrities, and it was nothing like the flashy Hollywood weddings you might expect.
Robin and Susan wrote their own vows for the wedding. Robin wanted to honor his late brother and mother during the ceremony. He asked the minister to read the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
“The wedding day was lovely – they were deeply in love and it was a peaceful ceremony. Both Robin and Susan were very involved in planning the ceremony,” the minister shared with Daily Mail in 2014.
Shutterstock
Robin and Susan lived in a fancy neighborhood called Sea Cliff, in San Francisco Bay. Their house was a Mediterranean-style home, covering 7,170 square feet. It had a stunning view of the water, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands.
From the outside, it seemed like Robin and Susan were really happy and had everything. But now we know their relationship faced challenges as Robin struggled with his personal demons.
His health started to decline, and it affected his work too. For instance, during the filming of Night at the Museum 3 in 2014, Robin had trouble memorizing even single lines. This was unusual for him, as he was known for memorizing lots of lines and giving amazing performances. It was confusing and frustrating for him to suddenly struggle with something he was usually so good at.
Getty Images
“Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it,” Schneider Williams explained in 2016.
“Think about how much it must have hurt him to see himself falling apart, and not even knowing why or what was happening. No matter how smart or loved he was, there was nothing he or anyone could do to stop it.”
Even though Robin had his struggles, Susan was always by his side. They were very honest with each other and talked about everything – their achievements, struggles, and deepest fears. Their bond and love for each other only grew stronger over time.
Sadly, Susan didn’t know everything that was going on, so she didn’t completely understand why Robin was having a hard time. She felt like she couldn’t do much to help. But even in Robin’s final months, they still had some happy moments together.
Shutterstock
Just before Robin died, doctors mistakenly thought he had Parkinson’s disease. This brought up more confusion, frustration, and dark thoughts for him.
The doctors said Robin had only three years to live. “What he was experiencing didn’t fit perfectly with what many Parkinson’s patients go through. So, I think that was tough for him,” said Robin Williams’ son Zak in Max Lugavere’s “The Genius Life” podcast.
“He was frustrated with problems focusing and feeling off. From a neurological point of view, he didn’t feel well. He was really uncomfortable.”
Zachary Williams and Robin Williams / Getty Images
It wasn’t until after Robin’s death that the full truth came out about what he was going through. Three months after he died, the coroner’s report was released. It revealed that Robin had been struggling with a type of dementia called Lewy body dementia for a long time before he passed away in August 2014.
In her first interview since her husband passed, Robin’s widow decided to speak up and tell the public about what really killed her husband.
Shutterstock
“Lewy body dementia is what caused Robin’s death. It’s what ended his life. Depression was just a small part of what he was dealing with. Actually, anxiety was the main issue, and it was really intense,” she said.
Doctors explained that Robin must have been going through a really tough time in the last months of his life. His Lewy body dementia was one of the most severe cases they had ever seen.
TV Show Mork and Mindy. Actor Robin Williams and actress Pam Dawber.
“Lewy body dementia is a terrible illness. It’s deadly. It progresses quickly,” said Dr. Bruce Miller, who directs Memory and Aging at the University of California San Francisco, speaking to Today.
When Susan finally found out about her husband’s condition, a lot of things started to make sense, and she understood why Robin behaved the way he did.
“I felt relieved that it had a name. Robin and I had been going through this together, feeling like we were being chased by an invisible monster. It was like dealing with a lot of symptoms all at once. When I left, I finally knew what was causing it all,” she said.
Shutterstock
Robin Williams cause of death
On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams was discovered dead in his bedroom at his home in Paradise Cay, California. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office reported that he died from suffocation caused by hanging.
In 2015, Susan cried as she remembered her final talk with her husband during an interview. Just a week before his death, Robin had planned to go to a facility for testing related to his brain’s function.
The night before he died, Robin offered Susan a foot massage. She didn’t know what would happen next, so she said no. She’ll always remember his sad eyes when he looked at her.
Then he left the room. He came back a few times to say, “Good night, my love.” Susan replied, “Good night, my love.”
They were his last words to her, and her last to him.
Robin Williams at “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” / ImageDirect
In interviews afterward, Susan said she forgave Robin and didn’t hold him responsible for his death. She understood that he didn’t have much time left, and those years would’ve been tough.
When the first responders came to their house on that terrible day and tried to save him, she stayed with him the whole time.
“And I just wanted to see my husband. And I got to see him … and I got to pray with him. And I got to tell him, ‘I forgive you 50 billion percent, with all my heart. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known.’ You know, we were living a nightmare,” Susan said.
Robin Williams funeral
We’re not sure if Robin’s family had a private funeral for him, but we do know that his body was cremated at Monte’s Chapel of the Hills in San Anselmo.
On August 21, his ashes were spread over San Francisco Bay. Robin had lived in the area for nearly 50 years and cherished it; it was where he felt most peaceful.
Please, share this article on Facebook to keep Robin Williams’s wonderful legacy alive.
