TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to suicide.Following Robin Williams’ passing in 2014, the subsequent legal dispute among his family members was one of the most controversial property disputes. While the actor had already set aside a will, dividing his assets, including his two homes, ambiguous wording led to a running dispute between his children and his wife over the distribution.Here is a look at what happened and how Robin Williams’ assets were distributed within the entire family.
What happened to Robin Williams?
On August 11, 2014, beloved actor Robin Williams died by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, Tiburon, California. He was 63 years old at the time of his passing. An autopsy conducted afterward revealed that the actor had been suffering from a severe case of Lewy body dementia.
Robin Williams passed away at the age of 63 in August 2014. (Instagram)
According to Cleveland Clinic, Lewy body dementia is “a decline in mental functioning that happens when clumps of proteins called Lewy bodies build up in your brain cells. They damage parts of your brain that affect thinking, behavior, movement, and sleep. LBD gets worse over time. There’s no cure, but medications and therapies may help manage symptoms.” It was also reported at the time that in his final year before passing, he had been suffering from issues like insomnia, movement tremors, memory loss, panic, terror, and hallucinations.
How did the legal dispute around Robin Williams’ property and assets start?
Robin Williams had already established a comprehensive estate plan featuring a revocable living trust, revised in 2012, designed to keep his assets private and bypass probate court. The Guardian stated that the overall estate was valued at approximately USD 45 million to USD 50 million.According to the trust he had set up, the Tiburon house under the star’s name and its contents were to go to his third wife, Susan Williams. The trust also directed that his three adult children, Zachary, Zelda, and Cody, would receive items such as his clothing, jewelry, memorabilia and awards, personal photos, and the property located at his Napa home.
Robin Williams’ estate was divided between his widow and third wife, Susan Williams, and his three children through a trust; however, there were a lot of issues with the asset distribution to to ambiguous language in his will. (YouTube)
The trust also called for the creation of a dedicated fund to cover the Tiburon home’s maintenance, taxes, insurance, and ongoing living expenses so that Susan could live there for as long as she wished without any issues. His children were designated as the beneficiaries of his Napa estate, the majority of his monetary wealth, entertainment rights, and his personal property/memorabilia.The dispute began in December 2014, months after his passing in August, when his widow, Susan, stated that the designated items belonging to the ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ actor that were allotted to his children were only limited to whatever was in his Napa house. She also stated that it should directly be connected to his acting/comedy roles as well. Following this, she filed court documents requesting that items inside the Tiburon home, including graphic books, watches, military figurines, and theatrical knickknacks, remain in the house and under her care.Following this, his children contested the filing and shared that their father explicitly intended for them to have his personal effects, tools, collections, and entertainment memorabilia regardless of where those items were physically housed when he died. They also stated that Williams “acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate” and was “adding insult to a terrible injury.”
Susan Williams argued that the living expense allotted to her was incorrect
The case continued when Williams later contended that the trustees were withholding funds necessary to maintain the Tiburon home, arguing that the reserve fund calculations provided by the estate’s trustees were insufficient to cover expected taxes, repairs, and upkeep costs. In response, Robin’s children alleged that she was attempting to inflate her guaranteed financial inheritance at the expense of their ultimate shares. Every dollar allocated to Susan’s living expense trust came directly out of the broader estate collective designated for the children and charity.
After 8 months, his children and his widow settled the case in an out-of-court deal, in which Susan got his Tiburon house along with some of his personal effects, while his children got his Napa estate, over 1200 personal items, his entertainment rights, as well as most of his monetary wealth. (YouTube)
All parties reached an out-of-court settlement in the case
After almost eight months of a legal dispute, the actor’s children and widow reached an out-of-court settlement and narrowly avoided a publicized trial. As per the settlement, Susan Schneider Williams retained the main Tiburon estate and received a court-approved structured trust fund to cover all future home expenses, maintenance, and property taxes. She was also allowed to keep certain important items from the actor, including wedding gifts, a watch, a bicycle, and select home furnishings chosen during mediation.On the other hand, his children received most of the financial estate and proceeds from property liquidations. Other than that, they also retained full control of Robin Williams’ entertainment rights, name and likeness rights, and official awards, along with the ownership of 1,200 personal items, which included his remaining art collection, graphic collections, wardrobe, and entertainment memorabilia.DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, depression, or mental illness, please seek professional help immediately from a doctor, mental health expert, or NGO. Helplines are also available. Also, this report is a journalistic account of a recent court development. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy based on available information, this is not a substitute for the official court order or legal advice. The final ruling, which will be published by the court, is the definitive source of information. This article serves as a report on the current status of the case and should not be considered legal guidance