Here is another story where the daughter of comedy legend Robin Williams Zelda Williams had to respond to fake news and turn to social media to do so. A decade after the actor’s death on 11 August 2024, Zelda denied rumors that her father owned a pet monkey. The 35-year-old Kollywood actress and director took to Twitter to correct the record and express her worry about fake news prevailing.
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A Viral post upset Robin Williams fans by presenting him as Egging Cars on the Night he died
The initial post, which went viral on X – formerly known as Twitter – on August 10, was a photo of Robin Williams and a monkey sitting on his shoulder. The caption suggested that this was ‘one of the last photos’ of Robin, although the actor was found dead in Marks & Spencer’s changing room age just four days after this photograph was allegedly taken due to suicide at the age of 63. The post went further to state that the monkey in the picture was Robin’s pet.
The daughter of Robin Williams, Zelda, who regularly speaks to fans and the media about her father and his work, and who has specifically called out Facebook for not handling her father’s death well in terms of handling fake news and false mourning, was not slow to document the latest inaccuracy. She reposted it while putting a disclaimer that the allegations were totally fabrications. I have seen some blatant nonsense that I believe was produced by AI and shares are becoming viral. She said, “If you want exotic animals, donate to your local exotic animal rescue agencies, stereotypically but, Dad did not have a pet monkey, and no one should.
Setting the Record Straight
To this, Zelda was at pains to explain that the monkey that was depicted in the photograph was not in any way Robin’s pet. However, Crystal the capuchin monkey who performed alongside Robin in the ‘Night at the Museum ‘movies was reported to have passed on. Crystal acted out Dexter, the playful monkey that had contact with Robin’s character, Teddy Roosevelt, in the films.
Zelda also urged on the fact that, as much as the image is real, it is not the picture of her father’s dying moments. The misleading post had created confusion and more importantly unneeded hurt to a lot of fans who knew Robin Williams. The brisk message by Zelda was meant to combat fake news and ensure that people were not given more information on the matter they misunderstood.
A Caution Against Misinformation
On August 11, in a subsequent update, she asked her fans to remain suspicious of such social media posts, which she said tend to resurface each year, particularly on notable dates such as her father’s demise. “Perhaps simply dismiss them all as fake news (they often are at best) as more out-right lies or sloppy research are likely going to trend popular on the anniversary of Dad’s death I will for sure as hell love,” she offered. Zelda has had trouble with misinformation when it comes to her father’s history before. Since her early days as a public figure, she has always helped celebrate her father’s memories and debunk narratives about him that may be the contrary.
Robin Williams’ Enduring Legacy
This summer tragedy struck again and on August 11, 2014, the beloved cinematic genius Robin Williams was found dead. He was recognized for his humor, for the speed at which he delivered his best jokes, and for the humanity he brought to the screen to help millions of viewers. His passing which was confirmed to have been due to Lewy body dementia sent a date and condolences from all over the world followed by his fellow artists.
Zelda together with her other two brothers, Zak who is 40 years old, and Cody, who is 31 years old holds her father dear. This is why she likes to narrate incidences of togetherness, especially during festive seasons. Zelda spoke to PEOPLE in an interview conducted in December the following year and she remembered how her father ensured that he created time to be with his family. ‘’Usually being together is significant, for if it is not, then it becomes all the more special to do so, especially when individuals are trapped all over the world in their jobs, she stated.
Culture serves as the collective expression of a society or group and therefore family traditions are fundamental. Zelda also spoke about the importance of cooking as well as the act of eating as a family. “Dad’s job made it pretty hard to keep anything like a yearly tradition, aside from Thanksgiving or days when sets would shut down,” she told me. “We didn’t have much in the way of that, but cooking together was a big part of our family we would lunch together every Tuesday, whether there were three of us in the household or twelve. ”
Launched in love, and kept dearly in times of grief, these moments are precious to Zelda and her family who lost their father.
Conclusion
This is important to say that one should not bring fake and invented truths about his life when it is necessary to remember Robin Williams and his great merits for the film industry and comedy. It is for this reason that Zelda Williams’ attempts at providing facts that can help dismantle the myth-making process, should be congratulated. It’s better by far to remember the man Robin Williams was from the real experiences and memories of those who knew and loved him.
