Robin Williams was married three times before his death in 2014. Learn all about the late actor’s former lovers, including his widow Susan Schneider.
Robin Williams was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood before his tragic death in 2014. The four-time Oscar nominee starred in iconic movies like Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, and Good Will Hunting, and his performances always moved the audience. Sadly, Robin died of suicide on August 11, 2014 at the age of 63 after years of struggling with Lewy body disease. His death left the entire world devastated — including his widow, as well as his two former wives.
So who are the women that once called Robin Williams their husband? Below, learn all about Robin’s three marriages.
Valerie Velardi
Robin’s first wife was Valerie Velardi, whom he met in 1976 while he was working as a bartender in San Francisco. The pair got married in June 1978, and they welcomed their first child, son Zachary “Zak” Williams, in 1983. However, the couple’s marriage came crashing down due to Robin’s acts of infidelity, which he public admitted later on. “He loved women. Absolutely loved women,” Valerie said in the 2018 documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. “And I got it,” she added. “I understood and I wanted him to have that, but I also wanted him to come home.”
Robin’s infidelity ultimately led to the couple getting divorced in 1988. They continued to co-parent their son, though Valerie kept a low profile over the years.
Marsha Garces
Film producer and philanthropist Marsha Garces is Robin’s second wife. They met in 1984 when Marsha worked as a nanny to Robin’s son Zak. Although reports have stated that Marsha and Robin’s relationship began while the actor was still married, Valerie clarified in the 2018 doc that it began after she separated from Robin. Marsha got married to Robin on April 30, 1989, and at the time she was already six months pregnant with their first child. She gave birth to their daughter, Zelda Rae Williams, that year, and in 1991 the couple welcomed a second child together, Cody Alan Williams. That made Robin a dad of 3.
Marsha worked with Robin as his personal assistant on some of his movies, including Good Morning, Vietnam and Dead Poets Society. She then became a producer for Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams, and Jakob the Liar. Marsha and Robin eventually formed a production company together, called Blue Wolf Productions.
In March 2008, Marsha filed for divorce from the comedian and cited irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized two years later. After Robin’s death in 2014, Marsha released a heartbreaking statement that read in part, “My heart is split wide open and scattered over the planet with all of you. Please remember the gentle, loving, generous – and yes, brilliant and funny – man that was Robin Williams.”
Susan Schneider
Robin got married for a third (and final) time to graphic designer Susan Schneider on October 22, 2011 in St. Helena, California. The two had met at an Apple Store in 2007. Sadly, Susan became a widow when Robin died in 2014. She was left devastated, as indicative of the emotional message she shared about Robin’s passing. “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings I am utterly heartbroken,” she said.
Susan has been open about Robin’s struggles in the years since his death. In the 2020 documentary Robin’s Wish, Susan said, “Robin’s suicide was really a consequence of brain disease; his brain was so compromised. I look at it like, Robin wanted to end the disease – he just didn’t realize that meant he would end, too.” Susan also said that the incorrect media reports about what led to Robin’s suicide “was pretty devastating” for her. “I just blocked it out as best I could because I had to deal with things that were far more important in the moment. And that was getting to the bottom of what Robin and I had just gone through,” she said.