Valerie Velardi was the first wife to actor and comedian Robin Williams. Robin Williams was found dead in his California home which he shared with his third wife, Susan Schneider, according to Heavy.com
Valerie Velardi’s ex husband, Robin Williams, was found unconscious in his home in Tiburon.It appears that Williams hung himself and died of asphyxiation. His publicist confirmed his death and added that Williams had been suffering from severe depression. No suicide note was found by detectives, according to TMZ .
Valerie Velardi remembers the man, not the icon. Velardi married Robin Williams in June 1978. By all accounts, it was Velardi who steered Williams in the direction of Hollywood which eventually led to his first real break with a role on the 1970’s classic tv show Happy Days . From there, Williams landed his own television comedy show entitled Mork and Mindy which sealed him in the hearts of the American public, forever. But, behind the big smiles and deep laughter, Williams battled many demons, and his first wife, Valerie Velardi, had a front row seat and was one of the first to witness Robin Williams’ madness behind the mask.
During his marriage to Valerie Velardi, she witnessed his descent into drugs and alcohol addiction. Valerie Velardi also endured vicious rumors and reports of cheating that were later confirmed through court documents, where he was sued by a waitress with whom he had an affair, as well as the most reliable confirmation of all, the birth of Robin Williams’ second child with the couple’s nanny.
Throughout his life and career, Williams was always very upfront and honest about his past transgressions, addictions and pains, according to Examiner . He grew from them. The experiences helped him–somewhat. After the birth of his child and the death of John Belushi, Williams tried to clean up his life, and he did good for a while — but the demons returned with a vengeance, leaving Williams to create two personas–Robin the nation’s funnyman, and Robin Williams, a deeply depressed soul. Some of the expressions around the world in reaction to his death are simply beautiful.
“My Heart’s broken. Robin was a beautiful, kind soul. Can’t bear that he’s gone. So incredibly sorry for his family,” stated Minnie Driver.
“The world has lost a great genius and San Francisco has lost a loyal friend,” said Nancy Pelosi.
President Barack Obama expressed that Valerie Velardi’s former love was “one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most.”
America is truly saddened by the loss of this comedic icon who often made others feel so good when they were around him but was unable to make himself truly happy.
Valerie Velardi is an actress known for her role in the 1980 movie Popeye . Robin Williams is known for his roles in Insomnia and Good Will Hunting , according to Inquisitr.