LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actor Robin Williams, found dead this week after an apparent suicide, was suffering from depression and the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, his wife said yesterday.
The beloved comedian’s personal assistant found Williams hanging from his belt in a bedroom of his California home on Monday, sparking speculation about his long public battle with addiction.
But Susan Schneider, issuing a statement through an agency, said the 63-year-old’s most recent problems had been with his mental health and with Parkinson’s, a degenerative nerve disorder.
“It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid,” she said.
“Robin’s sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.”
The coroner of Marin County, outside San Francisco, where the couple lived, has opened an inquiry into the death, but has confirmed it as a suspected suicide, pending toxicology reports.
AFP
