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Robin Williams was sober, had Parkinson’s at death

Robin Williams was sober and suffering from early stages of Parkinson\'s disease as well as anxiety and depression at the time of his apparent suicide, the actor\'s wife said in a statement on Thursday.
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August 14, 2014

Robin Williams was sober and suffering from early stages of Parkinson's disease as well as anxiety and depression at the time of his apparent suicide, the actor's wife said in a statement on Thursday.

Susan Schneider said the actor “was not yet ready to share publicly” his struggles with Parkinson's Disease.

“It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid,” Schneider said in the statement.

The 63-year-old Oscar-winning star of such films as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Good Will Hunting” was found hanged at his San Francisco-area home by his personal assistant on Monday.

Williams had been open about his struggles with alcohol and had recently gone to a Minnesota rehabilitation center this summer to “fine-tune” his sobriety, his publicist said.

The death of Williams, who shot to prominence in the 1970s with his groundbreaking hyperactive comedic style, shook Hollywood as tributes poured out from actors, directors, politicians and generations of fans.

Reporting by Eric Kelsey and Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Jonathan Oatis

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