Robin Williams’ widow believes his dementia lead to his suicide.
The late comedian tragically took his own life in August 2014 but his wife Susan Schneider Williams is adamant it wasn’t his battle with depression that drove him to kill himself, but his fight against Lewy Body, which causes loss of mental functions.
Speaking on CBS’ ‘This Morning’ on Thursday (03.11.16), she said: "[Parkinson’s disease] is actually an accurate diagnosis; however, that was the clinical side. The pathology was that he had diffuse Lewy Body Disease, which is what took him.
"I can tell you in his autopsy, the coroner’s report was clear that he had Lewy Body throughout his brain and brain stem – nearly every region."
Susan – who married the actor in 2011 – noticed a change in Robin around the time of their second wedding anniversary in October 2013 when he started to experience excruciating pain in his stomach.
She explained: "Robin and I had been together six years at that point, and I knew my husband’s normal baseline of fear and anxiety.
"And his fear and anxiety spiked and sustained at a level that was very scary. So that was kind of the beginning, really, the way I see it."
And, although two years have passed since his death, Susan can still remember the last words he said to her before he took his final breath.
She said recently: "We did all the things we love on Saturday day and into the evening, it was perfect – like one long date. By the end of Sunday, I was feeling that he was getting better.
"When we retired for sleep, in our customary way, my husband said to me, ‘Goodnight, my love,’ and waited for my familiar reply: ‘Goodnight, my love.’ His words still echo through my heart today."
Robin passed away at the age of 63 at his home in Paradise Cay, California, and, as well as Susan, he left behind his three grown-up children Zachary, 33, Zelda, 27, and Cody, 24.
Robin Williams’ widow claims dementia killed him
