Robin Williams remains one of America's best-loved comedians, almost 12 years after his tragic death by suicide. The actor – known for iconic '90s movies such as Mrs Doubtfire, Hook, and Aladdin – was suffering from undiagnosed Lewy body dementia (LBD), a progressive brain disease that causes intense depression, anxiety, and paranoia.
Following his death, his widow, Susan Schneider Williams, became a prominent advocate for LBD awareness, as did his three children.
© Getty ImagesRobin was a devoted father to three. He welcomed son Zak with first wife, Valerie Velardi, and daughter Zelda and son Cody with second wife, Marsha Garces.
He once said of fatherhood: "My children give me a great sense of wonder. Just to see them develop into these extraordinary human beings. And a favorite book as a child? Growing up, it was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — I would read the whole C.S. Lewis series out loud to my kids."
Like many dads, Robin was "so proud of them (his three kids) in different ways", but he recognized they weren't infallible. "Have they always been cherubs? No, but that’s been part of the process," he told Today Show.
HELLO! looks at his three children and how they keep his legacy alive.
Zak Williams, 43
© Penske Media via Getty ImagesRobin and his first wife Valerie welcomed their son Zachary Williams, better known as Zak, on April 11, 1983. While Valerie and Robin split in 1988, five years after their son's birth, Zak remained close to his father throughout his life
Following Robin's death, Zak shared that the passing had left him "traumatized" and "feeling extremely isolated and broken", which led to depression, anxiety, and alcohol consumption.
Through therapy and recovery group meetings, Zak was able to overcome his struggles and has since gone on to become a staunch mental health advocate.
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty"I've learned I'm not broken. Despite experiencing traumatic events, I can recover. And I am now on a path of healing and being the person I always wanted to be,” he said to People.
He launched his company PYM, short for Prepare Your Mind, to promote mental health support, and in 2020, he married his wife, Olivia.
© Getty ImagesIn 2019, they welcomed their first child, McLaurin "Mickey" Clement, after his father's middle name, and welcomed daughter Zola June in 2021.
Olivia is currently pregnant with their third child.
To commemorate Father's Day in 2026, Zak took to Instagram to share an image of his father, captioning the post: "Your light is still finding people. We’re gonna be okay. I’m so grateful I got to be your son."
Zelda Williams, 36
© Getty ImagesThree months after marrying Marsha Garces, Robin became a father again as the couple welcomed daughter Zelda on July 31, 1989.
Early on, Zelda showed an interest in acting and in 1994 was cast as her dad's on-screen daughter in the television film In Search of Dr. Seuss.
Since then, Zelda has appeared in a number of TV shows, most notably voicing Kuvira in The Legend of Korra.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyShe made a brief appearance in Jane The Virgin, and Criminal Minds, and in 2024 made her feature-length directorial debut with Lisa Frankenstein, a comedy horror written by Diablo Cody set in the same fictional universe as Jennifer's Body.
It has an 82% rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
© Zelda WilliamsZelda was 24-years-old when her father died, of which she said: "Everyone who has dealt with loss knows the pain of certain anniversaries, moments full of memory that come round like clockwork and usurp all others, no matter how hard you may try to prepare for or avoid them."
On July 21, 2026, on what would have been Robin's 75th birthday, Zelda shared a series of Instagram Stories, including a throwback of photobooth pictures she and her father had taken when she was a teenager.
© Zelda Williams"Happy 75th womb evacuation anniversary, Poppo!" she captioned the Story.
A second post saw Zelda consider what their relationship would look like if he were still alive, writing: "Wish we could talk about the world and joke about my haunted pups. Bet your laugh would be the same. You are loved beyond measure and missed daily."
Cody Williams, 34
© Getty ImagesMarsha and Robin would go on to welcome a second child, son Cody,, on November 25, 1991. He has opted to lead a more private life than his siblings, but he married Maria Flores on July 21, 2019, on what would have been his father's 68th birthday.
The couple exchanged vows in his childhood home, and paid tribute to their late family members by inviting guests to hold up yellow roses as Maria sang "Never Enough" in a recorded performance.
They also symbolized their undying love for their lost loved ones by lighting a three-wick candle together.
