Zelda Williams Shares Message Before Anniversary of Her Father’s Death

Robin Williams died in 2014, but the actor and comedian’s memory lives on through his fans and family. In July, fans honored Williams’ memory on what would have been his 69th birthday. His daughter, Zelda Williams, found a specific method to honor her father that day, donating $69.69 to local homeless shelters. But tomorrow is the anniversary of Robin’s death, and Zelda will be removing herself from online spaces. She posted a message on Twitter that encourages others to take care of their mental health. She writes, “Tomorrow is Dad’s death anniversary. As always, I will not be here.
She continues:

“It’s hard for me on regular, good days to remain the person expected to graciously accept the world’s need to share their memories of him and express their condolences for his loss. As I’ve said in the past, while I am constantly touched by all of your boundless continued love for him, some days it can feel a bit like being seen as a roadside memorial – a place, not a person – where people drive past and leave their sentiments to then go about their days comforted their love for him was witnessed.

“But sometimes, that leaves me emotionally buried under a pile of other’s memories instead of my own. After all, even roses by the truckload still weigh a ton. Tomorrow, it is simply too much.

“In my stead, if you find yourself in crisis and seek out this page hoping to be close to him somehow, please, use any of the following resources if you find you need them. Whoever out there needs to hear it, please use this as your signpost in the desert. Reach out. Seek Help. Keep fighting.”

Williams then threads a series of images with contact information for suicide and crisis hotlines of different types and in different areas. Her tweet is embedded below.

Robin Williams had a storied career in show business, beginning as a standup comedian before going on to star in the sitcom Mork & Mindy. From there, he became a film star and continued to guest star on several television shows. He’s best known for movies like Mrs. Doubtfire; Good Morning, Vietnam; and Good Will Hunting, with performances spanning from family-friendly comedic roles to the more dramatic. He’s also remembered for his voice acting, most notably voicing the Genie and Disney’s Aladdin.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.

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