The son of the late Robin Williams, Zak Williams, has marked what would have been his father’s 73rd birthday.
In a touching post shared via X on Sunday, July 21, Zak, 41, wrote, “Dad, on what would be your 73rd birthday, I remember you for all the hope and joy you brought to the world.” Robin died in August 2014 at the age of 63.
Zak’s post continued: “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 Robin smiling at the camera while sitting on the ground against a couch.
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Zak is a mental health advocate and the co-founder and CEO of Prepare Your Mind (PYM), a dietary supplement company.
Throughout the Good Will Hunting actor’s career, Robin dealt with substance abuse and severe depression. Shortly before his death, the star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, with early symptoms starting in 2013.
Just five years after his father’s death, Zak welcomed his first child, McLaurin Clement Williams, 5, with his then fiancée Olivia June, in June 2019, as confirmed exclusively by Us Weekly.
June, who is now married to Zak, welcomed the pair’s second child, daughter Zola June Williams, 3, in June 2021.
The couple paid tribute to Robin with the name of their eldest child. McLaurin shares his first name with the late actor, whose middle name was McLaurin.
Robin shared Zak, his eldest son, with his first wife, Valerie Velardi. The pair divorced in 1988 following 10 years of marriage.
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The Dead Poets Society actor later welcomed a daughter, Zelda, and a son, Cody, with his second wife, Marsha Garces. Robin and Garces split in 2008, nearly nine years after tying the knot. Robin wed his third wife, Susan Schneider Williams, in 2011.
Zelda, 34, spoke out about coping with her father’s death in August 2016. “It’s funny because for a while I think nobody would let me do anything. It was like, ‘Oh s–t, are you OK?’ and then even if you are OK, they’re like, ‘But what’s wrong?’” Zelda said on Chelsea at the time. “And so for a while, I was kind of left to my own devices and a lot of stuff came out of that because I ended up writing 12 scripts. But then, I was also like, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ and also, I didn’t see a lot of daylight for a while. But now I’m doing a lot more of that!”
