Robin Williams' Son Zak States His 'Incredible Spirit Lives' On In 70th Birthday Tribute

Jul 23, 2021 by apost team

Robin Williams is remembered as an extraordinary comedian who could walk into any room and have the people inside laughing within minutes, no matter what the original atmosphere was.

His passing in 2014 left people all over the world reeling and in shock, even more so as details of his depression and personal troubles surfaced in the wake of it. Even now, almost seven years later, this iconic actor, comedian, and singer is still remembered and beloved. Robin had a unique way of connecting with people of all backgrounds and people continue to share stories of how Robin personally touched their lives and made them better even today.

Robin was a multi-talented actor who could liven up the screen as well as play highly dramatic roles at the flick of a switch. His acting was part of two sides of his personality, Dave Itzkoff’s 2018 book "Robin" explains, he was “both wildly outgoing and painfully introverted,” as per The Daily Mail.

Even though the circumstances of Robin's death were quite painful, his life and his incredible legacy surpass the shock of his death by suicide. Robin would have turned 70 years old this week on July 21. Each year, fans and Robin's own children, post tributes to the actor and comedian, and this year is no exception. Along with Robin's son Zac, many fans posted many tributes across social media and celebrated the man for the incredible achievements he had over the years. Zac also spoke to Max Lugavere, host of "The Genius Life", and talked about his father's struggles with his dementia, earlier misdiagnosis, and declining health.

Zac, Robin's son, wrote in his tribute post on Instagram, "Dad, on what would be your 70th birthday, I would want you to know that your incredible spirit lives within us. Our family will be celebrating you and your memory today. We miss you and love you always!"

Zac also posted a photograph of the late Robin on his Twitter, and captioned the post, "Today would be 70. Missing you especially much today. Love you always evermore."

Though Zelda, Robin's daughter, did not post a tribute in 2021, she did post a "funny" tribute for his would-be-69th birthday in 2020. "Today would’ve been Dad’s 69th birthday, so to honor him (& that glorious number), I will be donating $69.69 to as many local homeless shelters as I can," Zelda wrote on Twitter. "Join me if you like, but regardless, know I am wishing you all at least one hearty, immature belly laugh on Dad today."

Twitter user @RhysCryspies posted a heartfelt tribute to Robin on Twitter, writing, "Happy 70th birthday to the late and great #RobinWilliams. His work was such a enormous part of my life and brought me a lot of joy. I feel like the world went to shit after he left it, but I am grateful to have seen a world that he was in at all."

Another Robin Williams fan @VijayIsMyLife wrote, "Happy 70th birth anniversary to the great actor, comedian and great human being - Robin Williams. It has been 7 years since he left us. We miss him every day. #RobinWilliams"

Suffice to say, Robin continues to make an impact on people's life even seven years after his death. 

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Robin's son Zak, who is now a mental health advocate, sat down with host Max Lugavere for his podcast "The Genius Life" to discuss the problems and discomfort his father faced during his last years of life. The episode aired on Wednesday, exactly on the day that would have been the late comedian's 70th birthday.

Speaking to Lugevare, Zak talked about his father's initial misdiagnosis. Robin Williams had at first been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease instead of dementia.

"What I saw was frustration," Zak reportedly said. "What he was going through didn't match one to one [with what] many Parkinson's patients experience. So, I think that was hard for him."

The comedian's son continued, "There was a focus issue that frustrated him, there were issues associated with how he felt and also from a neurological perspective he didn't feel great," adding, "He was very uncomfortable."

He also voiced his belief that the drugs administered against Parkinson's disease did not help his father, and in fact, may have even worsened his condition. "Those drugs are no joke," he said. "They're also really hard on the mind and the body."

It was only discovered after Robin's death that the beloved actor had not suffered from Parkinson's disease, but instead Lewy body dementia. This type of dementia also causes loss of motor control, changes in body movement and mood as well as behavior. The two illnesses are often misdiagnosed as they present similar symptoms. Unfortunately, this also means that often patients receive the wrong treatment, as was the case with Robin.

Do you have any stories about Robin Williams? Do you have your own tribute for him? Tell us about it, and be sure to ask your friends if they have any thoughts about it as well.