Robin Williams’ Daughter Zelda Recalls Spending Holidays With Her Dad and Siblings Before His Death
Zelda Williams remembers spending the holidays with her father, Robin Williams, before his death.
“Dad's job made it pretty hard to keep anything like a yearly tradition really, aside from Thanksgiving or days when sets would shut down,” she told People in an interview published on December 17. “So we didn't really have much in the way of that, but cooking together was a big part of our family. We would eat together every Tuesday, however many family members were in town.”
Though their holiday celebrations were nontraditional, Zelda, 34, enjoyed the memories she made with her siblings and parents growing up.
“My brothers and my dad were not good cooks,” the Girl in the Box actress said. “But my mom and I would take part, and it was a big part of our family.”
Zelda was born to Robin and his second wife, Marsha Garces Williams, in 1989. The pair welcomed son Cody Williams in 1991. The comedian was also a dad to son Zak Williams, who was born in 1983 during his marriage to his first wife, Valerie Velardi.
“Being together was the important thing, because otherwise, especially with people scattered to the wind with work, it became even more special to do that," Zelda continued.
Robin died by suicide on August 11, 2014, at age 63. He left behind an impactful legacy, one that his children continue to honor. Though they are all adults now with their own careers, the Williams kids try to make a point to spend time with each other each Christmas if they can.
“Christmas is not a really big deal in my family,” Zelda shared. “We usually use it to see each other and then just travel.”
The film director previously opened up about grieving her father’s death with the rest of the world.
"As I've said in the past, while I am constantly touched by all of your boundless continued love for him, some days it can feel a bit like being seen as a roadside memorial — a place, not a person — where people drive past and leave their sentiments to then go about their days comforted their love for him was witnessed," Zelda wrote on Twitter in August 2020 on the sixth anniversary of Robin’s passing.
She continued, "But sometimes that leaves me emotionally buried under a pile of other's memories instead of my own," adding, "After all, even roses by the truckload still weigh a ton."
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
