Robin Williams’ widow Susan Schneider took his suicide hard. She refused to speak in public about the death, which happened in August 2014.
But now, for the first time since Robin took his own life, Susan spoke about what happened in an interview with Good Morning America.
She recounted how the seven years she and Robin spent together were very happy. She was his third wife, but he was her first husband.
“It’s the best love I ever dreamed of. You know, it’s what I always dreamed of love would be…really based on just honor, love, respect,” she said.
Susan said in a statement released after Robin’s death that he had Parkinson’s disease, which was not previously known, but focused on emphasizing his rich life and everyone he touched.
In the new interview, Susan said that not only did Robin have Parkinson’s, he also had Lewybody dementia, which causes victims to gradually lose their mental abilities and bodily functions.
“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,” she said. He was already having trouble, with her describing one time where he hit his head so hard he had deep gashes.
She saw him lingering at the sink.
“And something didn’t seem right. And I opened up the door and there was blood,” she said. “This towel was so soaked with blood and he was just dabbing his head,” she said. “And I just screamed, ‘Robin, what happened? What did you do?’ And he pointed to the door and I said, ‘Did you hit your head?’ And he nodded.”
She also remembered her last interaction with him.
“He came back in the room a couple of times. Once to his closet. And he said--and then he laughed. And he said, ‘Goodnight, my love.’ And I said, ‘Goodnight, my love.’”
And the horrific phone call she received from his assistant, informing her of the apparent suicide.
“That 20-minute car ride, I just screamed the whole way, ‘Robin!’” she said.
“And 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.”
Friends Read Free