Robin Williams' Widow Says Depression Did Not Lead Him to Suicide, Talks About His Battle with Lewy Body Dementia

In one of her first print interviews since losing Robin Williams, his widow Susan is opening up about his struggles with the brain disease Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).

Susan told People, "It was not depression that killed Robin. Depression was one of let's call it 50 symptoms, and it was a small one."

LBD, which causes an unstable mental state, hallucinations, and impairment of motor function, took its toll on Robin in the last year of his life. He struggled with anxiety, delusions, and impaired movements, but his doctors could not figure out what was wrong with him until his autopsy. She said, "I know now the doctors, the whole team, was doing exactly the right things. It's just that this disease was faster than us and bigger than us. We would have gotten there eventually."

Robin's suicide has prompted Susan to try to help those suffering with LBD. "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," she added.