Robin Williams’ Son Zak Shares Heartbreaking Detail About His Dad’s Final Months

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Zak Williams is opening up about his late father, Robin Williams, and the difficult period he experienced in the months leading up to his passing.

During an appearance on “The Squeeze” podcast, Zak, 43, recalled watching his father search for answers and support before he passed away in 2014 at age 63. According to Zak, Robin may have been closer than he realized to finding something that could have helped him.

“The days, weeks, months prior to him dying by suicide, I was really feeling for him because he was having a frustrating time and was seeking support and was just trying to figure out what it was that would be most helpful to kind of help him experience some relief,” Zak said.

Looking back more than a decade later, Zak said that knowing his father was actively trying to get help has left him with some unresolved feelings.

“That was hard for me because I don’t think he was far off from finding something that would have felt like it was more helpful for him,” he said.

Zak Williams Says His Father Was Searching for Answers

Robin had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease before his passing. It was later discovered that the “Mrs. Doubtfire” star had Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurological disease.

Zak has previously spoken about the frustration his father experienced while dealing with the misdiagnosis. During a 2021 appearance on “The Genius Life” podcast, he explained that Robin’s symptoms did not seem to match what many people with Parkinson’s typically experienced.

“What he was going through didn’t match one to one [with what] many Parkinson’s patients experience,” Zak said. “So, I think that was hard for him.”

He also shared concerns at the time about the medication his father was taking, saying, “Those drugs are no joke. They’re also really hard on the mind and the body.”

In his latest interview, Zak also spoke about how much he loved his father and wished he could have found the peace he was searching for.

“The main thing for me is just I loved him so much and you know I couldn’t have told him enough,” he said. “And for someone who was such a loving human being and just giving his heart to the world, I had hopes that he would have found some peace.”

Zak Continues to Honor Robin Williams’ Legacy

Robin was a father of three children. He welcomed Zak with his first wife, Valerie Velardi, in 1983. He later welcomed daughter Zelda Williams, 37, and son Cody Alan Williams, 34, with his second wife, Marsha Garces, according to PEOPLE.

In the years since losing his father, Zak has become a mental health advocate and has spoken openly about his own experience with grief. He also founded PYM, or Prepare Your Mind, a company focused on mental health support.

Zak and his wife, Olivia, are parents to son McLaurin “Mickey” Clement and daughter Zola June. Mickey’s first name holds a special connection to his grandfather, as McLaurin was Robin’s middle name.

Zak has also continued to remember his father publicly. In a birthday tribute shared on Instagram, he described how his grief has changed throughout the years.

“For me, grief isn’t linear,” he wrote. “It loops and echoes. It softens, then crescendos.”

He went on to reflect on the legacy Robin left behind, saying it was about much more than his successful career in Hollywood.

“But alongside it lives a legacy, the kind built not from fame or recognition, but from generosity and relentless kindness,” Zak wrote.