Robin Williams Had Been Diagnosed with Parkinson's, Wife Reveals

In a statement released today, Susan Schneider, the wife of the late actor Robin Williams, revealed that her husband had been diagnosed with Parkinson's prior to his death.

Schneider told press outlets that Williams had already been suffering the early stages of the disease, which can cause symptoms like physical tremors, slurred speech, and difficulty moving.

Here's Schneider's statement in full:

"Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid.

Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.

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.

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."

It is important to note that Schneider didn't consider the Parkinson's diagnosis to be a cause of Williams' suicide. Rather, she mentions it as yet another difficulty the actor was dealing with as he sought treatment for his depression.

Still, there's a cruelty to the idea that a person who so clearly valued his extraordinary abilities with words and physical comedy, and who used those abilities to bring joy to people all over the world, would be faced with an illness that would gradually take them away.