Robin Williams Wept Every Night & Did Not Share Wife's Bed in His Last Days: His Family Fought for His Heritage

Robin Williams' final days were a tumultuous period that drove him to a sad end. According to his wife, Susan Schneider, the comedian's health struggles were extremely difficult for them.

Robin Williams passed on in 2015 after a beautiful entertainment career that left smiles on millions of faces. However, Williams' last days were anything but joyous due to his mental health struggles.

At his death, authorities had found him in an empty bedroom. Williams' death was ruled as suicide, caused by severe damage to his mental health.

Talking about the final days of her husband's life, Schneider said: "You know, we were living in a nightmare." After his death, Williams' children and Schneider had bitter battles.

The Saturday before Williams died, Schneider thought that he might be getting better as they had done everything he loved to do. However, she now realizes that he had given her one last perfect day because he knew he would die.

Schneider said that she didn't blame Williams for taking his own life because she knew how much pain he was in and how miserable he was.

After he died, amid a media frenzy, Schneider said she was forced into a legal battle with Williams' children. She shared:

"Two and a half weeks after Robin had left, I was still in shock. And not back in our home. After being in the trenches with my husband for so long and trying to solve this thing, after seven years together in love, I was told that I might not be able to be able to keep our wedding gifts, that in fact, ‘While you're out of the house … we need to come in and take everything out.'”

She was then allowed to put her belongings into storage, and her husband's children would then tell her what she could keep from those items. They finally settled the case out of court in early October this year. She is currently living in the couple's California home, trying to overcome her grief.

Robin Williams’ Life

Until his last day, Robin Williams was married to Susan Schneider. Still, many years before, he was married to Valerie Velardi Williams, whom he welcomed his first child, Zachary "Zak" Williams with.

The duo met in 1976 and were married in 1978. Valerie met her spouse when he worked as a bartender. However, years after their wedding, Robin Williams' career improved, and so grew his love for women.

His union with Valerie had been riddled with cheating scandals, which eventually saw them hightailing it to the divorce court. Valerie once shared that she understood her husband's love for women, but all she wanted was for him to go home to her.

During this time, Williams reportedly had an affair with Marsha Garces, who was Zak's nanny for two years. Williams and Garces were said to be involved during his marriage to Valerie, and after dissolution, the pair's affair intensified.

Garces went from being the nanny to Williams' mistress, assistant, secretary, and anchor. The woman, who is believed to be of Filipino-Finnish descent, showered Williams with love, as she was always there for him.

The pair walked down the aisle in 1989 when she was six months pregnant with their first child. Marsha gave birth in the same year to a daughter, Zelda Rae Williams. They had another child, Cody Alan Williams, in 1991.

Williams' Blended Family

When Williams and Valerie called it quits, the pair resorted to co-parenting. This custody arrangement was such that Zak spent time with his mom when his dad was away, and Williams was away most of the time.

However, the young boy would travel to his dad's place when Williams was around. Things switched up after Garces came into the picture. According to Valerie, the latter caused a divide between her and Williams.

Garces reportedly prevented Valerie from building a co-parenting relationship with the father of her child. She also caused a schism between Valerie and Zak. She added that she didn't want her around. She stated:

"I wasn't allowed in the house. I just did what I was told. I had another family. It wasn't pleasant. I just knew that if I were to just disappear, it would be better for everybody."

Despite Valerie's alienation from Williams' new family, the "Mrs. Doubtfire" actor and Garces had marital issues. After 19 years of marriage, the couple called it quits in 2008.

Garces filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. During their union, Williams and Garces were a power couple as they co-owned a production company and threw their weight into philanthropy.

According to close sources to Garces and Williams, the latter's alcoholism and relapse created a strain from which they couldn't recover. Another close friend relayed that although the "Jumanji" actor went to therapy, the trust in his marriage was already broken.

A third family friend relayed that Garces and Williams separated quietly before finalizing their divorce. While she lived in San Francisco, he resided in Marin County. The insider also stated that their decision to be separated was amicable.

Garces demanded joint legal custody during their legal separation, and court documents also revealed a split of both parties' properties.

Williams' divorces from Garces and Valerie cost him over $20 million. According to him, it was like ripping one's heart out through their wallet.

Robin Williams’ Third Marriage

The third time Robin Williams walked down the aisle was with graphic designer Susan Schneider. The pair first met at a local Apple Store in 2007.

Schneider had been the first to see him, but before she left the store, she saw him smiling at her and decided to go over and say hello. Four years after their first meeting, the "Aladdin" actor married Schneider.

Reverend Peader Dalton, who is said not to be associated with any faith, officiated at the ceremony. Reverend Dalton recalled how the wedding was simple but beautiful. He noted that the couple wrote the touching vows themselves.

Williams lived in Marin County with Schneider and her two young kids. However, two years into their marriage, his ailment started. Williams' symptoms aggravated from stomach pains to trembling nerve endings.

The Troubled Years

According to Schneider, her husband's ailment led to paranoia and terrible insomnia. This was the start of his 10-month-long symptom-riddled life. She called her husband's ailments "the invisible monster" and committed herself to finding the cause with him.

Williams knew he was slipping away, and he informed his loved ones. Finally, in 2014, doctors diagnosed him with Parkinson's disease, but his symptoms begged to differ.

Parkinson's disease could not explain the paranoia, anxiety, and mild depression that his wife said were treated as "satellite issues." As the "Night At The Museum" actor's condition worsened, doctors advised him and his wife to sleep in separate rooms.

The harsh reality of things threw Williams off balance so much that he asked Schneider if they were separated. His question was a realization that a chasm had been created due to his health.

Despite the medications the doctors prescribed, Williams' case aggravated. This led his wife to suggest visiting a neurocognitive facility, which he agreed to. The doctor told Scheider that her husband was aware he was losing his mind, but could do nothing about it.

One week before Schneider and Williams were scheduled to visit a facility, he was found dead in a bedroom. Although there were speculations that his death resulted from alcoholism and depression, Schneider clarified that it was not.

Schneider’s Reflections

After his death, doctors discovered that the A-list comedian was misdiagnosed. Williams experienced about 50 symptoms, all pointing to Lewy Body Dementia.

Schneider reflected on how her spouse dealt with this condition towards the end. She stated that Williams was greatly affected because he would often cry, which turned out to be a nightmare.

She reinforced that it was not depression that killed her husband, but it had been one of the many symptoms. Schneider described Lewy Body Dementia as chemical warfare in the brain.

She explained that she did not think her husband was suicidal, and he had not displayed such signs. However, Schneider concluded that Williams did not want to go to the facility they had initially talked about.

The 59-year-old relayed that she forgave her late spouse. Presently, Schneider resides at Williams' home, although she did not inherit it. The late star left his $100 million fortune to his children with provisions for her and her kids.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.