“It Was Super Painful”: Robin Williams’ Son Opens Up About Dad’s Death in Suicide Awareness Campaign

On August 11, 2014, actor Robin Williams took his own life in his Paradise Cay, California home at the age of 63.

Even five years later, the world still mourns the loss of the legend with a light-up smile, impeccable wit, and one-of-kind ability to bring an audience to tears of joy.

But nobody could know the pain of losing the great Robin Williams quite like his eldest son, Zachary Williams, who recently appeared in a Faces of Fortitude campaign in an effort to spread suicide awareness.

Faces of Fortitude was started by photographer Mariangela Abeo with the intent of offering a “safe space for those touched by suicide.” Abeo got inspiration for the project after sharing her own self-portrait online, reflecting on the death of her brother James Duruz who also died by suicide.

Now, Faces of Fortitude has become an entire photo series featuring others who have been through similar tragedies.

On Tuesday, Abeo shared her raw interview with 36-year-old Zachary Williams, who has hailed her project as “extraordinary.”

“There’s no education in place to tell you how to deal with this, to balance how to grieve privately with your family and then also to have to grieve publicly,” said Williams of his father’s death. “While it was nice to be heard, I was spending time on the outer layer instead of on the inside. It wasn’t just the survivor network for me, it was grieving with the whole world.”