Robin Williams: Actor’s Widow Opens Up About His Suicide, Says Depression Was Small Factor

Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider Williams, is opening up about her late husband’s tragic death for the very first time publicly. New details about Robin’s life just before he died have been revealed, and are helping people better understand what was going on at the time.

According to People Magazine, the Good Will Hunting star had been suffering from the debilitating brain disease called Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia (DLB).

“Frequently misdiagnosed, DLB is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s and causes fluctuations in mental status, hallucinations and impairment of motor function. The disease started taking its toll on Williams in the last year before his death, by way of its ‘whack-a-mole’-like symptoms which included heightened levels of anxiety, delusions and impaired movement,” reports People.

Robin Williams had also been suffering from depression before he took his own life on August 11, 2014. The actor, known for his incredible sense of humor, had been battling inner demons for many years, but it wasn’t his feelings of sadness that ultimately caused him to commit suicide.

Susan Schneider Williams says that her late husband’s depression was only a small piece to the puzzle.

“It was not depression that killed Robin. Depression was one of let’s call it 50 symptoms and it was a small one.”

According to Schneider, Robin Williams had been suffering from “crippling anxiety attacks” before he died. He was having some trouble calculating his steps and his words from time to time, but his doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on. Schneider says that it was this loss of a “normal” life, so to speak, that caused Robin to end his life.

Susan said that the DLB diagnosis wasn’t clear until after Robin’s autopsy. She seems to wonder if the diagnosis was made clear earlier on, if Robin would still be here today, but she admits that it would have been a very tough road for him either way.

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

Robin Williams was found hanged inside his Northern California home. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Williams was being treated for Parkinson’s Disease, but it now appears as though that may have been the misdiagnosed DLB, which can apparently have similar symptoms.

Susan Schneider Williams recently sat down with Amy Robach for an interview. According to ABC News, Schneider recalled some of the most difficult times that she had, watching her husband struggle. She was also very candid about what an earlier DLB diagnosis would have meant for Robin.

“If Robin was lucky, he would’ve had maybe three years left. And they would’ve been hard years. And it’s a good chance he would’ve been locked up,” says Schneider.

She then recalled the moments that she got to see her husband after he was gone.

“I just wanted to see my husband. And I got to see him… and I got to pray with him. And I got to tell him, ‘I forgive you 50 billion percent, with all my heart. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known.’ You know, we were living a nightmare,” she said.

Susan made sure to add that Robin Williams was “completely clean and sober” when he died. It’s something that he was proud of, and it sounds like his wife was proud of that as well. Many people know that Williams struggled with addiction for many years, and that he was no stranger to rehab.

For more, check out Susan Schneider Williams’ full interview tonight (November 3) on World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline.

[Photo by Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment]