AssetID: 53972566
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Robin Williams' son marks late actor's 73rd birthday
Caption: Robin Williams' son marks late actor's 73rd birthday. In a touching post shared via X, Zak Williams wrote: "Dad, on what would be your 73rd birthday, I remember you for all the hope and joy you brought to the world. There's not a week that goes by without someone sharing with me how you helped them through a dark time or a rough patch. I'm so grateful to be your son. Love you forever.” The post was accompanied by a black and white throwback photo of Williams smiling at the camera while sitting on the floor, leaning against a sofa. Williams died in August 2014 at the age of 63. Throughout the Good Will Hunting actor's career, he dealt with substance abuse and severe depression. Shortly before his death, the star was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but an autopsy later discovered he actually had Lewy body dementia. Williams and his first wife Valerie Velardi welcomed son Zak in 1983. He has a sister, Zelda, and a brother, Cody, from his father's second marriage to Marsha Garces. A mental health advocate, Zak has shared that he was left "traumatised" and "feeling extremely isolated and broken" by his dad's shocking death. He began struggling with depression and anxiety and sought relief through alcohol, which he later learned to manage and combat in therapy and recovery group meetings. ”Ultimately, I found that if I continued living that way, it wasn't a life that was worth living. Something had to give." People. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Robin Williams,Zak Williams,73rd birthday,tribute,Lewy body dementia,mental health,substance abuse,depression,Good Will Hunting,Valerie Velardi,Zelda Williams,Cody Williams,Marsha Garces,mental health advocacy,therapy and recovery,X
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