Robin Williams' Wife Susan Schneider Revealed The Actor's Death Was More Than Just Depression

Highlights

• Robin Williams struggled with substance abuse, depression, Parkinson's, and a mysterious disease leading to mental health issues before his death.
• His widow revealed that his suicide wasn't solely due to depression, but symptoms of Lewy body dementia played a significant role in his passing.
• Williams' son, Zak, shared how his father's mental health struggles impacted him, leading to his own journey of advocacy and healing.

There’s no doubt that the late Robin Williams is one of the most talented and beloved Hollywood actors of all time. Since he made his feature film debut in the 1980 film Popeye, the actor appeared in more than 110 movies and television series. Some of his biggest roles were in movies such as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), The Fisher King (1991), and Good Will Hunting (1997), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Sadly, Robin Williams struggled with substance abuse and depression throughout his career. Later on in life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Ultimately, Williams was found dead at his home in Paradise Cay, California, in 2014. His death was ruled a suicide and many believe it was caused by his depression. However, Williams’ widow, Susan Schneider recently revealed that the beloved actor’s struggles went beyond that, given that he had a strange disease that greatly affected his mental health.

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Robin Williams' Wife Susan Schneider Lost Everything Due To The Late Actor's Surprising Will

Robin Williams’ Wife Revealed That The Actor Suffered From More Than Depression

Before his death, Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. As time went on, he began experiencing depression, anxiety, and increasing paranoia. This was caused by a mysterious illness that wasn’t discovered until after his death.

Williams’ autopsy found a diffuse Lewy body disease, which led professionals to believe that his symptoms were a sign of Lewis body dementia, characterized by changes in sleep, behavior, cognition, movement, and even regulation of automatic bodily functions.

A year after the actor’s tragic passing, his wife opened up about the real cause of his death. “It was not depression that killed Robin,” Susan Schneider told People, speaking to the public perception of what drove Williams to commit suicide. “Depression was one of let’s call it 50 symptoms and it was a small one.”

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Schneider revealed that the disease started taking its toll on Williams in the last year before his death. His many symptoms included heightened levels of anxiety, delusions, and impaired movement. “They present themselves like a pinball machine,” Schneider explained. “You don’t know exactly what you’re looking at.”

Sadly, Williams’ symptoms worsened over time. In the months leading up to his death, the actor began experiencing crippling anxiety attacks, more symptoms of depression, and a “miscalculation” with a door that left his head bloodied and muscle rigidity. Unfortunately, doctors weren’t able to pinpoint exactly what was wrong until after the autopsy.

“I know now the doctors, the whole team was doing exactly the right things,” Schneider added. “It’s just that this disease was faster than us and bigger than us. We would have gotten there eventually.”

After the actor’s passing, Schneider began researching this disease and has become an advocate for Lewis body dementia awareness so that other families don’t have to go through what she and her family experienced.

Robin Williams' Son Admitted That the Actor Was "Frustrated" And "Very Uncomfortable" Before His Death

Robin Williams had three children, Zelda, Zachary, and Cody Williams. In 2021, his son Zak opened up about the actor’s mental health struggles before his death. He explained that his father first felt frustration over being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“What he was going through didn't match one to one [with] many Parkinson's patients'...experience,” Zak explained in an interview with The Genius Life podcast. “He felt frustrated.”

“There was a focus issue, that frustrated him. There were issues associated with how he felt. And also from a neurological perspective, he didn't feel great,” Zak explained. “There was just more anxiety and depression and just things he was experiencing and talking to me about that made me realize he was very uncomfortable.”

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One of the biggest blows to Williams’ mental health was not being able to act anymore. “At least from my lens, what I found was someone who was having challenges performing his craft. And that was really irritating for him," Zak admitted. "When you're a performer, it goes beyond pride in what you're performing, it's your livelihood."

Throughout this time, Zak and the rest of the family could do nothing but support the actor. "I wanted to be there for him on a daily basis,” Zac said. “I really wanted to because it can be really isolating, even if you're with family and loved ones.”

Robin Williams' Son Opened Up About His Own Mental Health Struggles After His Dad's Death

During his appearance in The Genius Life podcast, Zak Williams also opened up about how his father's death affected his mental health. "I was self-medicating through the trauma, using alcohol," he admitted. Later on, Zak went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) due to Robin Williams’ tragic death.

Not wanting to develop a substance abuse problem, Zak enrolled in a 12-step program and attended group therapy. "I was just sick and tired of trying to treat myself using harmful means," he explained.

As he recovered, Zak became an advocate for mental health, partnering with many helpful organizations. "I actually found myself committing time to mental health advocacy as a means of healing that trauma," he said. "For me, it was very healing."

All in all, Zak discovered that helping people is a great way to keep his father’s memory alive. "Dad, on what would be your 70th birthday, I would want you to know that your incredible spirit lives within us," Zak wrote on a birthday message for his father he posted on Instagram. "Our family will be celebrating you and your memory today. We miss you and love you always!"

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