Robin Williams’ Family Guide: What to Know About the Late Actor’s Wife and 3 Children
Robin Williams’ legacy of love and laughter continues to live on through his closest family members who admired him the most.
After the actor died by suicide in August 2014, his three children, Zak Williams, Zelda Williams and Cody Williams, have provided a glimpse into their grieving journey. They’ve also continued to honor their dad as a man who brought happiness to everyone who knew him.
“The joy and inspiration you brought to the world carries on in your legacy and in your family, friends and fans you so loved,” Zak wrote via X in 2021. “You lived to bring laughter and to help others.”
While Zelda previously admitted that anniversaries are difficult to celebrate, she expressed gratitude to fans who continue to share fond memories of her father.
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“Thank you for loving him,” she shared via Instagram in 2018. “Thank you for supporting him and his life’s work. Thank you for missing him. I do too.”
As Robin’s memory continues to live on, take a look at all the milestones his closest family members have reached in recent years:
Susan Schneider Williams
Susan and Robin’s paths first crossed in late 2007 when they made eye contact and introduced themselves inside an Apple store. Four years later, the couple got married and lived in Marin County, California.
Married for three years before Robin’s passing, Susan later decided to pen a personal essay about her late husband’s final days battling a rare form of dementia before he died by suicide.
“Robin’s real legacy will unfold in the decades to come and really shed light on brain disease as a whole, but particularly dementia, which 47 million people worldwide are suffering right now,” Susan said while participating in the 2017 People and ABC special People Icons: Gone Too Soon. “And for [other Lewy Body Dementia patients] to know that they are not alone, that this is what Robin Williams had and they’re being heard, they’re not outcasts. So the way I see it, he truly is on that back nine going, ‘I got this,’ where he made people feel not alone before. They don’t have to feel alone now.”
Zak Williams
Robin and his first wife Valerie Velardi welcomed their only child together in 1983 before they split in 1988.
Zak became a mental health advocate and was named a chairman of Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit that works to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.
"One thing I found very healing for me through my experience has been service and commitment to service work specifically around mental health and mental health support organizations,” Zak previously told People. “Eating well, committing to a healthy lifestyle. Things that I need in my weekly and daily regimen to better support my well-being."
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After dating for four years, Zak married his wife Olivia June in October 2020. They have two children together.
"I've learned I'm not broken,” he added when reflecting on his journey. “Despite experiencing traumatic events, I can recover. And I am now on a path of healing and being the person I always wanted to be."
Zelda Williams
In 1989, Robin and his second wife, Marces Garces, welcomed their first child together.
At the age of 5, Zelda got her first taste of acting when she landed a role as her dad’s on-screen daughter in 1994’s In Search of Dr. Seuss. Although she earned additional roles in projects like Mutant Ninja Turtles and Jane The Virgin, Zelda made it clear she never wanted to be a superstar on the screen.
“I didn’t go into acting with any ideas of where I’d wind up,” she told People. “Maybe this is pessimistic, but I knew I was never going to be my father, so I went into it because I love it.”
After her dad’s passing, Zelda took a step back from social media. The actress, however, continues to be a mental health advocate and returned to Instagram to celebrate her feature directorial debut of Lisa Frankenstein.
Cody Williams
In November 1991, Robin and Garces welcomed their second child together. Although Cody prefers to live a private life away from the spotlight, he confirmed his wedding to wife, Maria Flores, on July 21, 2019. The celebration occurred on what would have been his father’s 68th birthday.
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“The 21st of July has meant many things to me over the years,” Zelda wrote on Instagram at the time. “It’s the birthday of one of my favorite souls still on this earth, @junotemple. It’s the day Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon (as a space nerd, that’s pretty damn important). And it was the day my Dad was born, and the last day I got to see him.”
The director continued, “That last one had begun to usurp the joy of the first two in recent years… that is, until two days ago, when it became something new. On the 21st of July, 2019, it became the day I officially gained a new sister! To @mariaaafloresssswilliams and Cody, you are a light in all of our lives. I’m so grateful to have paid witness to your love over the years, to have watched you grow and care for each other in ways we should all be so lucky to experience.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
