Summary
- Robin Williams allegedly struggled with substance abuse and believed he needed drugs to perform well, according to a source.
- Friends and colleagues, including Mike Binder and Howard Storm, confirmed Robin's addiction struggles and recounted instances of drug use.
- Robin Williams was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease before his death, and his widow describes the diagnosis as finding out the name of his killer.
It’s been nearly 10 years since Robin Williams passed away, but only now are allegations coming out about the famous comedian’s supposed substance abuse struggle.
“Robin needed to be ‘on’ all the time. He didn’t think he’d be any good without drugs. It wasn’t true, but that’s what he believed,” a source claimed to OK! Magazine. The source claimed that Robin would often show up to set while intoxicated, saying,“Robin would show up to shoot Mork & Mindy looking like a trainwreck.”
Robin Williams’ Friends Confirm He Had Addiction Issues
Furthermore, the publication claims that one of Robin’s old friends, Mike Binder, confirmed his addiction struggles. “It was like, 8:15 p.m. at night,” Binder said. “I was like, ‘Robin, you did the whole gram?’ He was like, ‘It was an accident, I’m sorry.’ With drugs, he was a monster.”
Even Mork & Mindy’s director Howard Storm was open about Robin’s intoxication on set. “He hadn’t slept all night. He was snorting coke, and if you snort coke, in order to come down you drink booze,” he reflected. “He was out all night and screwing everybody in town.”
Robin himself was open about his partying days. Reflecting on his early career, the actor said in 1998, “I was crazy back then — working all day, partying all night.” Apparently, losing his friend John Belucci from an overdose in 1982 was a turning point for Robin.
Earlier this month, comic Allan Stephan opened up about Williams’ alleged addiction issues. "He said, 'Know anyone with any blow? I have to go on, and I can't go on without any blow,'" Stephan said, reflecting on an interaction he had with Robin.
"And I sat down, and I said, 'I'm going to help you.' He said, 'Do you have blow on you?' I said, 'No, are you out of your f------ mind? You're Robin Williams.' And after that, I don't think he would get high when he had it before," Stephan went on.
Robin Died By Suicide After A Mystery Condition Went Undiagnosed
Robin died by suicide in 2014, leaving behind his widow Susan Schneider Williams. Following an autopsy, it was revealed that the actor had an undiagnosed condition called Lewy body dementia. He had also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a few months before his death.
“A few months before he passed, he was given a Parkinson’s (disease) diagnosis,” his widow later said in statement.
“None of the doctors knew that there was this ghost disease underlying all of this,” Susan went on. “When that was revealed, that was like essentially finding out the name of my husband’s killer.”
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a neurological condition characterized by a range of cognitive, motor, behavioral, and emotional disturbances. Visual hallucinations, the perception of objects or events that do not exist, frequently manifest as an initial symptom in individuals with LBD.
In the United States, over 1 million individuals have been diagnosed with this condition, making it one of the prevalent types of dementia. LBD is a progressive ailment, marked by the gradual onset of symptoms that deteriorate as time passes.
Next year will be the 10th anniversary of Robin Williams’ death.
