The beloved actor, who took his life in August 2014 at the age of 63, apparently had undiagnosed dementia, on top of depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease.
His wife Susan has revealed that an autopsy carried out on Williams’ body showed he had signs of Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia, which can cause hallucinations, motor skills issues and a fluctuating mental state.
She said she blames the disease for driving her husband to suicide last summer, after the realisation that he would have very little time left alive.
Speaking to Good Morning America, Susan said: ‘Lewy Body Dementia killed Robin. It’s what took his life…it’s chemical warfare in the brain, and we can't find it till someone dies, definitively. There's no cure.’
‘I’ve spent this last year trying to find out what killed Robin. To understand what we were fighting, what we were in the trenches fighting, and one of the doctors said, “Robin was very aware that he was losing his mind and there was nothing he could do about it.”’
‘This was a very unique case and I pray to God that it will shed some light on Lewy bodies for the millions of people and their loved ones who are suffering with it. Because we didn't know. He didn't know.
‘It was not depression that killed Robin. Depression was one of let's call it 50 symptoms, and it was a small one.’
Lewy Body Dementia is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are difficult to pinpoint and often appear as other things - like movement issues, anxiety, and delusions.
Susan added that she knew doctors were doing the right things for Robin ahead of his death, but they just hadn’t quite got to the bottom of what was wrong with him.
She added she didn’t blame her husband for taking his life, saying: ‘I forgive you 50 billion per cent, with all my heart. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known…You know, we were living in a night mater.’
Robin left behind his wife and his daughter, Zelda.