A recent documentary has unveiled that Robin Williams and his initial wife, Valerie Velardi, had an understanding that granted the actor the freedom to be intimate with other women.
In Come Inside My Mind, a documentary about the late actor who committed suicide in 2014, Velardi shares that she chose to turn a blind eye to her husband’s extramarital affairs.
In the documentary, which premiered on HBO earlier this month, she states, “He adored women. Absolutely adored women. And I comprehended it.”
She continues, “I grasped it, and I desired him to experience that. But I also yearned for him to return home.”
Williams and Velardi first encountered each other in San Francisco in 1976, before the then-aspiring comedian had achieved any of the acting accomplishments that would eventually make him a household name.
The couple married in 1978 and had a son, Zachary or “Zak,” in 1983. However, their marriage ended in 1988 following Williams’ affair with Zak’s nanny, Marsha Garces.
In July 1989, Garces gave birth to the couple’s first child together, Zelda, and they married the same year.
In 1991, they welcomed a son named Cody.
Despite this, the couple divorced in 2010 after being separated for over a year.
In October 2011, Williams married his third wife, graphic designer Susan Schneider, who was with him when he passed away on August 11, 2014.
Following his death, Schneider disclosed that the 63-year-old had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
She explained that the recent diagnosis, coupled with his ongoing battles with depression and anxiety, played a role in his death.
However, an autopsy later determined that he actually suffered from a lesser-known ailment called Lewy body dementia.
Lewy body dementia is a degenerative brain disorder marked by microscopic protein deposits, known as Lewy bodies, that form on the brain.
The condition is frequently misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s.
Come Inside My Mind includes interviews with well-known individuals who were acquainted with Williams both professionally and personally.
The documentary delves into his career and his struggles with maintaining sobriety and coping with mental health issues.
