Zelda Williams Suspends Social Media in Wake of Father's Death
Those sending negative thoughts to the Williams family pushed Robin's only daughter too far. Zelda has quit Twitter and Instagram following online harassment over her father's death.
Robin Williams was found deceased in his home in Tiburon, California, on Monday. The cause of death was suicide by hanging, authorities stated, and a rep for the actor confirmed the tragic news, saying the Oscar-winning actor had been "battling severe depression of late."
While the 25-year-old actress's social media accounts were flooded with mostly well wishes, a few anonymous users criticized the fact she didn't post enough pictures of her father; several sent graphic photoshopped images along with crude and hateful remarks.
[Related: Robin's Children Speak Out]
"I will be leaving this account for a [sic] but while I heal and decide if I'll be deleting it or not. In this difficult time, please try to be respectful of the accounts of myself, my family and my friends," she shared on Instagram alongside a photo of a butterfly. "Mining our accounts for photos of dad, or judging me on the number of them is cruel and unnecessary. There are a couple throughout, but the real private moments I shared with him were precious, quiet, and believe it or not, not full of photos or 'selfies'.
"I shared him with a world where everyone was taking their photo with him, but I was lucky enough to spend time with him without cameras too," she continued. "That was more than enough, and I'm grateful for what little time I had. My favorite photos of family are framed in my house, not posted on social media, and they'll remain there. They would've wound up on the news or blogs then, and they certainly would now. That's not what I want for our memories together. Thank you for your respect and understanding in this difficult time. Goodbye. Xo."
Zelda also posted a farewell message on Twitter.
Before the hate-filled messages on social media, Frances Cobain reached out via Twitter to lend her support to Zelda.
On Tuesday, Zelda released an official statement on her Tumblr page regarding her father's passing.
"My family has always been private about our time spent together," Zelda began. "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."
[Related: The Family Robin Leaves Behind]
In typical Robin fashion, Zelda also addressed those who weren't sending warm wishes her family's way with Williams wit.
"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," she continued. "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.”
Robin's last Twitter and Instagram post was a message of love to his daughter on her 25th birthday: "#tbt and Happy Birthday to Ms. Zelda Rae Williams! Quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl. Happy Birthday @zeldawilliams Love you!"
While Zelda may have suspended her social media accounts on a negative note, she appreciated those making donations to St. Jude in his honor.
Longtime Friend of Robin Williams Talks About His Generous Heart