• Robin Williams loved his family dearly, but his last wife, Susan, and his three grown children did not get along in the later years of the actor's life.
• When the actor passed away, a legal battle ensued among them, where Susan took his children to court for a share in his estate.
• Even before his death, Susan reportedly kept him away from his children most of the time to get free will in the decision-making regarding his health.

Robin Williams had quite an eventful personal life, having been married three times in his lifetime. He was first married to Valerie Velardi for ten years from 1978 to 1988, before marrying Marsha Garces from 1989 to 2010, and then his wife Susan Schneider from 2011 until 2014.

The comedian met his first wife in 1976 while working as a bartender in San Francisco. They got married two years later and welcomed their child, Zachary "Zak" Williams in 1983.

Robin Williams and wife Valerie Velardi circa 1979 in New York. | Source: Getty Images

However, their marriage was plagued with infidelity, which he later on publicly admitted. Even Velardi knew how much her then-husband loved women, and that was something she had to accept.

By 1988, they got a divorce. They continued to co-parent their son, and since splitting, Velardi stayed out of the spotlight.

A year after his divorce from Velardi, Williams married Marsha Garces. They first met in 1984 while Garces was working as his son Zak's nanny.

Marsha Garces, Robin Williams and their daughter Zelda at the premiere of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze" at the Cineplex Odeon Universal City Cinemas in Universal City, California on March 17, 1991. | Source: Getty Images

Due to the circumstances of how they met, people assumed that they had gotten together while Williams was still married to Velardi. However, Velardi herself clarified that the relationship began after their split.

Garces left her nannying job to become a film producer and philanthropist, which Williams fully supported. Together they shared daughter Zelda Rae Williams and son Cody Alan Williams.

They split in 2008, with Garces filing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce. The request was finalized in 2010, a time when Williams had already met the third love of his life – Susan Schneider.

Robin Williams, Zelda Williams and Cody Williams at the Robin Williams Footprint Ceremony on December 22, 2018. | Source: Getty Images

After having to go through gruesome divorce proceedings which ultimately cost him $30 million in his first two marriages, he decided to have a pre-nuptial agreement with Schneider when they wed in 2011.

Speaking to a publication in November 2011, Williams said that despite the hefty spousal support payments he had to pay, he gets on well with his exes. He joked that they had always appreciated his body hair, which was a plus for him.

As for how he met his third wife, the actor revealed that they had met outside an Apple store in 2007. Their eyes met, and they felt a connection that they decided to pursue.

Milo Jacob Manheim, actress Zelda Williams and actor Robin Williams attend the Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Happy Feet Two" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 13, 2011 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

A year later, they realized they were madly in love with one another. Their engagement wasn't anything fancy, and instead, Williams walk into the bedroom and got down on one knee.

"Will you be Mrs. Robin Williams?" he asked Schneider. By that time, she already knew she wanted to be with him for the rest of his life. She responded: "With all my heart, yes. With all my heart."

They got married in an intimate Napa Valley, California wedding on October 22, 2011. They wrote their own vows for one another and were in tears.

Robin Williams and wife Susan Schneider are sighted leaving the 'Alex Singer' bike store on October 26, 2011 in Paris, France. | Getty Images

Williams' Medical Conditions Began Appearing

During the first few years of Williams' relationship with Schneider, everything was smooth sailing. They went on a honeymoon trip to Paris before his health began to decline with Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia, an illness they only learned he had after his death.

The "Mrs. Doubtfire" star began to experience delusions, heightened anxiety levels, and restricted movement. Although he was able to get himself out there most of the time, his struggles would come out at home.

Williams did everything he could to fight the illness. Even with the best care from doctors, his case was rare and debilitating. Schneider explained:

"What Robin had, it would be as if he had cancer in every organ of his body. His brain was so ravaged. The doctors said there was nothing more anyone could have done. It's one of the worst cases they've ever seen."

The doting wife said that what kept Williams alive for so long was his heart. Although she was in agony for so long, time has made her learn to forgive her husband for taking his own life.

They were each other's rock. Whenever they weren't together, they'd talk four to ten times a day. Whenever they were together, they'd do yoga on the beach with their friends, they'd meditate together, and whenever Williams had the energy to, they'd head out for dinner.

Despite doing seemingly normal things, Williams was feeling melancholic through it all. According to Schneider, the actor was "mad at himself for what his body was doing, for what his mind was doing."

On August 11, 2014, Williams was found dead in the bathroom of his home. The night before, he suffered from paranoia, stocking several of his watches inside a sock before handing them to someone for safekeeping.

As for his behavior, his wife said that he seemed well because he had taken his iPad out of the closet. She took it as a good sign because the actor had not watched TV or read the news in about half a year since then.

The couple slept in separate bedrooms because Williams had trouble sleeping and would talk in his sleep. She last saw him at 10:30 p.m. before going to bed.

When he was found, Schneider requested to see her husband's body. She prayed over him alongside the Sheriff's deputies before they took him away.

Shortly after the actor's death, his children posted sweet messages remembering their dad on social media. His eldest son Zak said he not only lost his father, but his best friend.

His only daughter Zelda revealed in her note that the last day they spent with him was during his birthday. "I will forever be grateful that my brothers and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and laughter," she wrote.

Zachary Williams and Robin Williams circa 1987. | Source: Getty Images

His youngest, Cody, expressed how much love and respect he had for his dad. Zelda and Cody's mom, Williams' ex-wife Marcia also wrote that she was grieving with her children.

When Williams began suffering health complications, Schneider reportedly tried to distance him from his kids so she could make all decisions regarding his health.

Susan Schneider (L) and comedian Robin Williams attend The Comedy Awards 2012 at Hammerstein Ballroom on April 28, 2012 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

She had nothing but nice words to say about her ex-husband, describing him as "gentle, loving, generous," and as people know him, "brilliant and funny." She assured his fans that her top priority was her children, as they learned to deal with the loss of their dad.

A day before his death, Schneider said she and Williams had the most perfect day. In hindsight, she realized he had given that to her, and that he had planned how he wanted to make his exit.

Robin Williams (R) and Susan Schneider leave the "Late Show With David Letterman" taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater on April 26, 2012 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

A Legal Battle Ensued Following His Death

Things haven't been well between Williams' three children and their stepmom for quite a while. Although they initially supported her union with Williams because they wanted him to be happy, they were reportedly later shut out of his life because of Schneider.

When Williams began suffering health complications, Schneider reportedly tried to distance him from his kids so she could make all decisions regarding his health. She even reportedly refused to have them spend Williams' birthday with him, something that ultimately did not happen.

Susan Williams, the widow of Robin Williams, talks about her late husband on "THE VIEW" on Wednesday, November 4, 2015. | Source: Getty Images

His daughter Zelda's farewell message revealed that she and her siblings were able to spend Williams' final birthday with him. It was a family affair filled with gifts and laughter.

Two weeks after Williams;' death, Schneider recalls not being able to go home. She was told that people were taking things out of the house, and once she returned, she'd have to identify which things were hers, and which were Williams'.

Zachary Pym Williams (L) and Zelda Williams attend the grand opening Of SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Robin Williams Center on October 5, 2016 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Legally, his children were entitled to his clothes, jewelry, and personal photos. However, his daughter Zelda denied them taking anything from their dad's home weeks after his death.

The Williams children's spokesman, Allan Mayer, went on to state that none of the kids or their representatives have been in the Tiburon home, nor have they taken anything from it since Williams' death.

Zelda Williams and Zak Williams speak onstage during the 9th annual "Revels & Revelations" in support of teen mental health at City Winery on December 02, 2021 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

They also reiterated that they were heartbroken over Schneider's appeal, noting she had only been married to their father for "less than three years." They accused her of trying to prevent the children from receiving what their father had planned to give them.

To settle the score, Schneider took the Williams children to court. In her claim, she said she was not receiving enough money to maintain their Tiburon, California home. Later on, more of Williams' belongings were included in the dispute.

Susan Schneider, actor Robin Williams, and Zelda Williams attend the Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Happy Feet Two" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 13, 2011 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

At the time, his children were said to have slammed their stepmother for "adding insult to a terrible injury." They couldn't understand why she was suddenly changing the trust that their dad had carefully planned regarding his estate.

Schneider ended up dropping her petition after meeting a settlement with the Williams children. She was able to keep a couple of sentimental items, like one of Robin's watches, the bike they purchased on their honeymoon, and their wedding gifts.

Robin Williams and Susan Schneider having lunch at Nello on October 03, 2010 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Schneider will also be able to live in the home she shared with the actor until her death, and she will receive money to properly maintain the home. The children argued that their stepmother was trying to negotiate for more money than what was required to maintain the home.

With an estate estimated to be worth over $100 million, the Williams children got most of it. Schneider revealed that truckloads of Williams' possessions were ultimately removed from their home, but she is glad to have kept some sentimental items that mean a lot to her.

Zak Williams, son of Robin Williams, throws out the ceremonial first pitch as Zelda and Cody Williams look on before Game Five of the 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals at AT&T Park on October 26, 2014 in San Francisco, California. | Source: Getty Images

Ultimately, the three Williams children are the recipients of the "Robin Williams Trust," while Schneider is assured of her home in the "Susan Trust," which Williams had put together for her despite their undisclosed pre-nuptial agreement.

After everything that happened, life became challenging for Williams' kids, especially his eldest son, Zak. He dealt with substance abuse for years before choosing to turn his life around in 2017.

Zak is a spitting image of his late father, sharing the same eyes and facial features. He now has a wife and son of his own, whom he proudly shares about on social media.

His daughter Zelda has been the most open on social media, often speaking about the void her father's death had left in her and her siblings' lives. Although she isn't as active on Instagram as her older brother, it has been shared that she works as a writer and voice actress.

Williams' youngest son Cody has chosen to live life away from the spotlight. Not much is known about his personal life except that he chose to get married on his late dad's birthday back in 2019, on July 19th.

He wed Maria Flores in the San Francisco home that Williams once shared with his ex-wife Marsha – the home where Cody and Zelda grew up. Cody's two older siblings were in attendance, and they posed for pictures to mark the special occasion.

While his dad was no longer able to attend the wedding, Cody's siblings and mother made sure he received all the love on his special day. The date of the wedding being significant to the late actor's life also made it all the more special – like he was there with them all along.

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