Robin Williams’ widow says doctors ordered them to sleep in separate beds prior to his death

Susan Schneider Williams makes revelation in new documentary about late husband

Robin Williams’s widow Susan Schneider Williams has revealed that a doctor recommended that the couple sleep in separate beds in the time prior to his death.

The measure was suggested as a means to help alleviate the late actor’s insomnia.

Schneider Williams appeared on the US daytime news series Today to speak about Robin’s Wish, a new documentary exploring Lewy body dementia. It is a neurodegenerative disorder that the actor was struggling with before he died by suicide in 2014.

She recalled it being a strange moment for the married couple, “[Robin] said to me, ‘Does this mean we’re separated?’”

Schneider Williams continued, “That was a really shocking moment. When your best friend, your partner, your love – you realise that there’s a giant chasm somewhere and you can’t see where it is but that’s just not based in reality. That was a hard moment.”

Robin Williams pictured with his wife Susan Schneider Williams (Getty)

The documentary, which was released on demand and digital today (1 September), has received praise for its powerful portrayal of the beloved actor’s final years.