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Was Robin Williams Broke? Reports Suggest Money Problems Contributed To Actor's Suicide

In light of Robin Wiliams’ death, rumors that Williams’ depression stemmed from financial problems have gained steam, but sources say that was not the case.

Was Robin Williams Broke?

Williams’ sudden death by hanging, an apparent suicide, had fans scrambling for a way to make sense of Williams’ decision to end his own life. One theory was that Williams had serious financial problems.

“All he could talk about were serious money troubles…There was also frustration that Robin expressed at having to take television and movie roles he didn’t want to take, but had to for the paycheck. Doing sequels was never Robin’s thing, and he wasn’t that excited at having to reprise the role of Mrs. Doubtfire, which was scheduled to start filming this year,” a source, identified as a family friend, told RadarOnline.com.

Williams On Money Troubles Resulting From Divorce

This theory echoes, and exaggerates, Williams’ own statements from 2013, when he admitted that one of the reasons he returned to television with CBS’ The Crazy Ones was the steady paycheck.

“The idea of having a steady job is appealing. I have two [other] choices: go on the road doing stand-up, or do small, independent movies working almost for scale [minimum union pay]. The movies are good, but a lot of times they don’t even have distribution,” Williams said in an interview with Parade.

Williams added that he couldn’t afford to focus on passion projects and support his family in the way he wanted, but he also acknowledged that he was perfectly okay with letting go of a more frivolous lifestyle, saying, “There are bills to pay. My life has downsized, in a good way. I’m selling the ranch up in Napa. I just can’t afford it anymore.”

Williams also used money troubles and his two divorces as joke material, but insisted he had not become completely bankrupt by his high-profile splits.

“Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it ‘all the money,’ but they changed it to ‘alimony.’ It’s ripping your heart out through your wallet. Are things good with my exes? Yes. But do I need that lifestyle? No,” Williams said.

Robin Williams Set Up Trust For Children

Another source recently called the reports of Williams’ alleged financial troubles “inaccurate” and “not fair." Whether or not Williams was struggling financially, the beloved comedian made sure his three children would be taken care of in the event of his death. In 2009, Williams set up a trust for his children, Cody, 22, Zelda, 25, and Zachary, 31. Each child received one third of their share when they turned 21, half of what remained at 25 and the full amount at 30.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.

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