Robin Williams Illness: Did He Have Dementia? How Did He Die?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Apr 21, 2023
Who is Robin Williams?
Robin McLaurin Williams, born on July 21, 1951, was an American comedian and actor who was well-known for his exceptional improvisational skills and ability to create a diverse range of characters on the spot.
He was widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time and received several accolades throughout his career, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.
Williams started his career in stand-up comedy during the mid-1970s in San Francisco and Los Angeles and released several comedy albums, including "Reality... What a Concept" in 1980. He gained popularity for his role as the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom "Mork & Mindy" (1978–1982) and got his first lead film role in "Popeye" (1980).
Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Good Will Hunting" (1997) and was also nominated for Oscars for his roles in "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987), "Dead Poets Society" (1989), and "The Fisher King" (1991).
Robin Williams Illness
Robin Williams' wife, Susan Schneider Williams, was introduced to a disease that had been affecting both their lives after the actor's suicide in August 2014. The disease is called Lewy body dementia, which was diagnosed in October 2014 after an autopsy on his brain.
Schneider Williams, who is now an artist and an advocate for LBD awareness and research, revealed at the Life Itself conference, a health and wellness event presented in partnership with CNN, that a few months before his death, Robin was mistakenly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but it was later revealed that he had Lewy body dementia.
Lewy body dementia is a disorder of mental processes that leads to memory dysfunction, personality changes, and impaired reasoning due to brain disease or injury. The cause of LBD, which affects approximately 1.4 million Americans, is not yet fully understood. Still, the disease is linked to the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein, which is present in the brain and in small amounts in other tissues such as the heart and muscle.
Alpha-synuclein helps regulate neurotransmitters, but when it accumulates and forms masses, known as Lewy bodies, the effects on the brain are devastating. Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease and can be categorized into two types: Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease dementia.
Did Robin Williams have Dementia?
Robin Williams, who was renowned for his talent, humor, and ability to make people smile, passed away at the age of 63 in 2014. His last days were consumed by anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, and panic attacks, and he was unable to comprehend why his brilliant mind was failing him. Williams was struggling to remember his lines on the set of his final film, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
However, he was never aware that he was suffering from Lewy body dementia, a neurological disease that was only diagnosed after his death through an autopsy. His widow, Susan Schneider Williams, reached out to filmmaker Tylor Norwood to raise awareness of the truth about her husband's final days and years, and Norwood hopes to honor Williams' memory in a new documentary called Robin's Wish.
Millions of people who loved Williams and the movies he made will benefit from learning the truth about his illness and his final days. Williams never received an explanation for his condition, and Norwood believes that Robin deserved better, given the joy and laughter he brought to so many people's lives.
How Did Robin Williams Die?
Robin Williams passed away on August 11, 2014, at the age of 63, by committing suicide at his residence in Paradise Cay, California. He had been battling depression, paranoia, memory impairment, and insomnia for several years. The autopsy conducted after his death disclosed that he had been suffering from severe Lewy body disease, which had gone undiagnosed and had extensively affected his brain.
Robin Williams was found dead by suicide in his home in Paradise Cay, California on August 11, 2014. The autopsy report attributed his death to "asphyxia due to hanging" and revealed the presence of severe and previously undiagnosed Lewy Body dementia, which his wife Susan Schneider Williams described as a "terrorist inside my husband's brain".
According to Schneider Williams, in the year leading up to his death, Robin experienced a significant increase in fear, anxiety, depression, insomnia, memory loss, paranoia, and delusions. The autopsy ruled out the influence of drugs or alcohol but highlighted his ongoing struggles with depression and anxiety. Additionally, Robin had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three months before his death.
Williams Lewy Body Dementia CNN?
Williams was unaware that he was afflicted with Lewy body dementia, a neurological disease that was only diagnosed post-mortem by his widow. Medical experts stated that it was one of the most severe cases they had ever encountered.
The primary symptoms of Lewy body dementia encompass alterations in behavior, thinking, sleep, and movement. These symptoms may include a decline in mental ability, concentration, attention, alertness, and wakefulness. The patient may also experience visual hallucinations, and issues with movement and posture such as difficulty walking, slowed movements, and muscle stiffness.
Why did Robin Williams Commit Suicide?
During his time at The Trident in Sausalito, California, Robin Williams worked as a busboy for three summers, in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He left Juilliard in 1976, after Houseman advised him that there was no more that the school could teach him. One of his other Juilliard instructors, Gerald Freedman, referred to Williams as a "genius", and noted that the school's conventional and traditional style of training was not compatible with his talents; as such, his departure was not unexpected.
Robin Williams Illness - FAQs
Robin Williams died by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California on August 11, 2014. The cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging.
Robin Williams was suffering from depression, anxiety, paranoia, memory loss, and insomnia.
Lewy body dementia is a type of progressive dementia that affects thinking, movement, sleep, and behavior.
No, Robin Williams was not diagnosed with Lewy body dementia before his death. It was only discovered during his autopsy.