--- description: Confirming reports he committed suicide title: Robin Williams Suicide: Police Say He Hanged Himself image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt69a207c00194d177/69869f49d0b6f24ef2305aa1/robin-williams1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [celebrities](/tag/celebrities/) ## celebrities Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Robin Williams Hanged Himself, Police Say ## Video: Celebrities Mourn The Death Of Robin Williams [Watch (HLS stream): Celebrities Mourn The Death Of Robin Williams](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3YWaeZ9S.m3u8) (2:16)  _Published 2014-08-12. Two themes are emerging in celebrities’ shocked reactions to Robin Williams’ death: that he was a comic genius, and one of the real nice guys of Hollywood._ by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) and [Katy Steinmetz](/author/katy-steinmetz/) Aug 12, 2014 6:34 PM CUT  Robin Williams before his performance at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 28, 2009 Robin Williams before his performance at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 28, 2009Jay Paul—The New York Times/Redux by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) and [Katy Steinmetz](/author/katy-steinmetz/) Aug 12, 2014 6:34 PM CUT Robin Williams died because of asphyxia from hanging himself in his California home, police said Tuesday, confirming a day after [the actor’s death](http://time.com/3101990/robin-williams-dead-63/ "undefined") that he had committed suicide. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office also said Williams, who was 63, suffered “acute superficial” cuts to his wrist, and that a pocket blade was found near his body. A forensic examination showed no signs of a struggle, and toxicology results for Williams, who had long struggled with substance abuse and depression, won’t be available for about two to six weeks, police said. Williams was last seen by his wife at 10:30 p.m. local time on Sunday when she went to bed. Williams’ personal assistant became concerned the next day when the actor failed to respond to knocks on his bedroom door. Upon entering, the assistant found Williams “clothed in a seated position, unresponsive, with a belt around his neck,” Lieutenant Keith Boyd told reporters during a news conference. He was pronounced dead shortly after noon on Monday. Fans of the late comedian and actor gathered near the news conference in San Rafael, Calif., on Tuesday. “It surprises me that someone who was so loved felt so alone,” said Leigh Carliglio of Contra Costa County. “He was loved, he was wonderful. This is devastating.” She particularly remembers _Mork & Mindy_ and then quickly adds _Mrs. Doubtfire_ and _Aladdin_. “All of them.” She was surprised to find out how he died. “We need more care for mental-health patients. We don’t understand how deep depression runs.” Other fans filmed the news conference with their cell phones, lamenting how “a whole generation” grew up with Williams’ character in _Mork & Mindy_. Outside Williams’ home in nearby Tiburon sat flower bouquets and notes address to “Robin.” A few fans lingered. “Anything he was in, I would go see it,” one said. “It’s just devastating. I have depression in my family.” _— Katy Steinmetz reported from San Rafael and Tiburon, Calif._ ### Robin Williams' Life in Pictures  Robin Williams in the 8th grade at Detroit Country Day School in Birmingham, Mich. in 1965. Courtesy Williams Family  In the 8th grade, Robin Williams, #15, played on the basketball team at Detroit Country Day School. Seth Poppel—Yearbook Library  Robin Williams in high school. Courtesy Robin Williams  Williams' played the spinach-loving sailor Popeye in its eponymous 1980 film. Paramount/AP  Robin Williams in September of 1981 Steve Ringman—San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis  Robin Williams with his mom, Laurie Williams, during the premiere of "Moscow on The Hudson" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif in 1984. Ron Galella—Wire Image/Getty Images  Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve at Silver Friedman's "The Original Improvisation" in New York in 1988. Jim Demetropoulos—Retna Ltd./Corbis  Robin Williams, third from right, dressed as a cheerleader on Nov. 12, 1979 with the Broncos' Pony Express cheerleaders during the filming of an episode of "Mork & Mindy," in Denver. AP  Robin Williams played radio DJ Adrian Cronauer in director Barry Levinson's comedy drama, Good Morning Vietnam in 1987. Touchstone Pictures/AP  Williams taught a generation to seize the day, to make their lives extraordinary, as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Buena Vista Pictures  Williams played a grown up version of Peter Pan in the 1991 family classic Hook. TriStar Pictures  Williams lent his substantial talents to voicing Genie in Disney's 1992 animated film Aladdin. Disney  Household chores were no match for Robin Williams as he donned layers of prosthetics to play Mrs. Doubtfire in the 1993 movie of the same name. 20th Century Fox  Williams starred as Alan Parrish, a boy stuck inside a board game for twenty-six years in the 1995 film Jumanji. TriStar Pictures  Starring opposite a young Matt Damon, Williams played Dr. Sean Maguire, in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. Miramax  Williams played a living android in the 1999 film Bicentennial Man. Buena Vista  Williams took on the likeness of Teddy Roosevelt in Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum. 20th Century Fox  Robin Williams and his family are seen with their dogs on May 2005\. From left to right: Kiwi (poodle), son Cody Williams, Robin Williams, daughter Zelda Williams, Marsha Williams and Mizu (poodle) Lacy Atkins—Emily Scott Pottruck/Trails of Devotion ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/"},"headline":"Robin Williams Hanged Himself, Police Say","datePublished":"2014-08-12T18:34:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:49.072Z","description":"Confirming reports he committed suicide","url":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/","keywords":["celebrities","Death","celebrity","tragedy","robin williams"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt69a207c00194d177/69869f49d0b6f24ef2305aa1/robin-williams1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Katy Steinmetz","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/katy-steinmetz/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt69a207c00194d177/69869f49d0b6f24ef2305aa1/robin-williams1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Robin Williams before his performance at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk","caption":"Robin Williams before his performance at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk","creditText":"Jay Paul—The New York Times/Redux","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/celebrities/","name":"celebrities"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/","name":"Robin Williams Hanged Himself, Police Say"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Celebrities Mourn The Death Of Robin Williams","description":"Two themes are emerging in celebrities’ shocked reactions to Robin Williams’ death: that he was a comic genius, and one of the real nice guys of Hollywood.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3YWaeZ9S/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-08-12T16:12:22.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3YWaeZ9S.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/","duration":"PT2M16S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3104190/robin-williams-suicide-hanging/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```