Robin Williams' wife, children in dispute

Robin Williams' three adult children are heartbroken that his wife is fighting them over their father's estate, their lawyer says.

Susan Schneider, from left, Robin Williams, and Zelda Williams

Robin Williams' children and wife have gone to court in a fight over the late comedian's estate. (AAP) Source: AAP

Robin Williams' children and wife have gone to court in a bitter fight over the late comedian's estate.

In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Williams' wife, Susan, accuses the comedian's children from two previous marriages of taking items without her permission and asks the court to exclude the contents of the Tiburon home that she shared with Williams from the jewellery, memorabilia and other items Williams wanted the children to have.

The children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, counter that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of the late actor's clothing and other personal items.

"The Williams' children are heartbroken that Petitioner, Mr Williams' wife of less than three years, has acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate," lawyers for the children said in court papers.

Williams committed suicide in August.

Susan Williams has said he was struggling with depression, anxiety and a recent Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

Williams had publicly acknowledged periodic struggles with substance abuse and had entered a substance abuse program shortly before his death.

According to the coroner's report, his wife told an investigator that Williams did not go there because of recent drug or alcohol abuse, but rather to reaffirm the principles of his rehabilitation.

Williams' trust granted his children his memorabilia and awards in the entertainment industry and some other specific personal items, according to court documents.

Susan Williams says that because he wanted her to continue to live at the Tiburon home, it makes sense that he intended only for his children to have the specific personal items he delineated that were kept at another home he owned in Napa.

"Any other interpretation would lead to Mrs Williams' home being stripped while Mrs Williams still lives there," her lawyers wrote.

The children dispute that interpretation, saying there were no specific limits on the location of those items.

The two sides also disagree over items put in storage, watches Williams owned and his memorabilia.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world