Robin Williams' children speak out on father's death
Tragic actor Robin Williams' three children have broken their silence over their father's death.
The Oscar-winning star passed away on Monday (11Aug14) after he hanged himself at his home in Marin County, California.
Since the news of his death, there has been an outpouring of
tributes from fans, friends, and former co-stars, and on Tuesday
(12Aug14), his three children finally opened up about their beloved
father.
Williams' oldest son, 31-year-old Zachary, from his first marriage
with Valerie Velardi, said in a statement: "Yesterday, I lost my
father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer. I will
carry his heart with me every day. I would ask those that loved him
to remember him by being as gentle, kind, and generous as he would
be. Seek to bring joy to the world as he sought."
The comedian's other two children with second wife Marsha Garces
also released statements about their father, with Cody, 23, saying,
"There are no words strong enough to describe the love and respect
I have for my father. The world will never be the same without him.
I will miss him and take him with me everywhere I go for the rest
of my life, and will look forward, forever, to the moment when I
get to see him again."
His older sister Zelda, 25, added, "My family has always been
private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping
one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world.
But now that's gone, and I feel stripped bare. My last day with him
was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers
and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and
laughter. He was always warm, even in his darkest moments.
"While I'll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply
and not find it in his heart to stay, there's minor comfort in
knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with
millions. It doesn't help the pain, but at least it's a burden
countless others now know we carry, and so many have offered to
help lighten the load. Thank you for that.
"To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of
his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for
those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling
part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on
your car. Right after you've had it washed. After all, he loved to
laugh too...
"Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous,
gentlest souls I've ever known, and while there are few things I
know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world,
but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and
less full of laughter in his absence. We'll just have to work twice
as hard to fill it back up again."
Zelda also took to Twitter to thank fans for making donations to
the St. Jude's Children's Hospital in memory of their dad, and
wrote, "Thank you to all those donating to @StJude in memory of my
father. I'm overwhelmed. The charity meant the world to him, as it
does to me. Knowing that so many children will be helped in his
honor is all I could've asked for. Thank you, from the bottom of my
heart. Thank you."
Ex-wife Garces also shared her sorrow, and said, "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. My arms are wrapped around our
children as we attempt to grapple with celebrating the man we love,
while dealing with this immeasurable loss."