How did Robin Williams' kids react to his death?

Robin Williams' Children Break Silence After His Passing

When Robin Williams died in August 2014, the world mourned the loss of a comedic genius whose voice and spirit had brought joy to millions. But behind the public grief were two young hearts grappling with a private tragedy—his children, Zelda and Cody Williams.

For the first time, they spoke out about their father’s death, sharing a mix of love, sorrow, and confusion. “We’ll always cherish the memories we have,” Zelda wrote in a heartfelt tribute. Cody echoed the sentiment, recalling quiet moments—laughing over silly impressions, walking in the woods, or sharing stories that only a father and child truly understand.

Yet beneath the fond remembrances lay a painful question: How could someone so full of light choose to leave?

“It’s hard to make sense of it,” Cody admitted. “He had so much love around him, so many people who adored him. And still, he couldn’t see it.” Zelda added that she struggled to reconcile the man the world celebrated with the private pain he carried in silence.

What many didn’t know at the time was that Robin was in the early stages of Lewy body dementia, a neurodegenerative disease that affects cognition, movement, and mood. In hindsight, his family believes it played a major role in his decision to end his life. “It wasn’t depression alone,” Zelda later explained. “It was a disease stealing him piece by piece.”

Still, they choose to remember him as he was—warm, generous, endlessly funny. “He taught us to be kind,” Cody said. “To laugh loudly. To care deeply.”

Though his passing left a void no fame could fill, his children continue honoring him not through grief, but through the joy he gave them—and the world—for decades.