Robin Williams was one of the finest comedians of his generation: a man of quick-witted humor; unforgettable one-liners, and a heart full of compassion.
Upon his passing in 2015, the world lost one of its brightest stars. Williams wasn’t just a professional funny man, he was an icon to millions, and the circumstances of his death truly shocked all those who had ever called themselves a fan.
The truth was that while the actor – aged 63 at the time of his death – battled demons behind his smiling facade. Much and more has been said about the potential reasons for his decision to take his own life, but it would appear that it’s now beyond a doubt that his ailing mental health played a huge role.
According to new reports, Williams’ final days were agonizing and tumultuous, while his wife, Susan Schneider, described it as though her husband was “living a nightmare” …
For millions, Robin Williams was a beacon of unchecked happiness. His larger-than-life characters, his animated on-screen deliveries, his jumpy, ecstatic demeanor: it’s difficult to imagine that the actor was ever unhappy.
And yet …
The Jumanji star struggled greatly with depression and sadness, and his last days were apparently a torment he simply could not stand. His death was ruled a suicide, caused by severe damage to his mental health.
Williams had fought battles before – his life in the Hollywood spotlight had been affected by alcoholism and affairs – but it wasn’t until he was given a startling diagnosis that the bleakness of his situation simply became too much.
After marrying third wife Susan Schneider – the couple met in an Apple store in 2007 – Williams would have been forgiven for thinking the more scandalous aspects of his life were well behind him.
The actor and Schneider tied the knot in a ceremony where they wrote their own vows, and the two moved in together, along with her two kids.
Yet just two years into their union, Williams began to experience worrying symptoms including stomach pains and trembling nerve endings.
As per Schneider, Williams’ troubles led to paranoia and bouts of insomnia. It got so bad that the actor even told his close family members that he was sure he was slipping away.
Then, in 2014, Williams was diagnosed by doctors with Parkinson’s disease.
With his condition worsening, Williams and his wife were advised to sleep in separate bedrooms, while Williams himself struggled with reality so much that he even asked Schneider if they were still together.
Describing them as “satellite issues”, Schneider said her late husband was constantly experiencing paranoia, anxiety, and mild depression.
"Nearly every region of his brain was under attack," said Susan Schneider Williams, the widow of Robin Williams, in a new documentary about the late comedian's final days before he died by suicide in 2014. "He experienced himself disintegrating." https://t.co/VOED5tcnku
— CNN (@CNN) September 7, 2020
Ultimately, Schneider thought it would be best that Williams went to a neurocognitive facility for more tests.
The actor agreed, but sadly, one week before his appointment, he was found dead in a bedroom. He had died by suicide.
The greatest tragedy of all came after Williams passed away, when doctors realized that he had been misdiagnosed. He did not have Parkison’s, but more likely was suffering from a condition known as Lewy Body Dementia.
Schneider said her late husband was deeply affected by his condition towards the end, and would openly cry. She described Lew Body Dementia as like chemical warfare on the brain.
She further explained that she did not think Williams was suicidal, and he had not displayed such signs.
I miss Robin Williams so much. He truly was a one-of-a-king entertainer and an inspirational man.
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