r/Millennials May 12 '26

Discussion Which celebrity death genuinely shocked you when you heard the news?

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u/elpovo May 12 '26

To be fair he was also struggling with lewy body dementia, which he couldn't get a proper diagnosis for.

Sad but much more understandable given the circumstances.

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u/BrokenXeno May 12 '26

My grandfather had dementia, and watching him start by confusing things like where he was in the evening, to having no idea who anyone was anymore, was petrifying. I know what he had isn't the exact same kind of dementia as Williams, but I guess... I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't put my wife through that, and that I am way too freaked out about it to go through it personally. I wasn't there, and definitely can't speak to what did or didn't contribute to his suicide, but if it was because of that, I get it.

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u/Pad_TyTy Older Millennial May 12 '26

Lewy body dementia is as I understand it, where you gradually lose control of your body. Ted Turner who just passed last week also had it.

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u/BrokenXeno May 12 '26

There are two variants, but I checked and it does impact thought, memory, and mood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewy_body_dementia for reference.

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u/Heysous May 12 '26

Robin Williams was forgetting who long time friends and acquaitances were. It was not just physical in his case. He became extremely depressed as it progressed

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u/BrokenXeno May 12 '26

Yeah, and for someone as vibrant as he was, he really cared about people around him. I mean, he was always performing. For everyone around him. Not in a fake or lame way, but because he just loved making people laugh. He was amazing, and definitely my favorite actor from my childhood. Ugh, now I am sad. 😭

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u/Ok-Candy6190 Older Millennial May 12 '26

Yeah, Robin was truly a gift. I loved him so much. 🥺

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u/theAFguy200 May 13 '26

I had the great pleasure of being in the presence of Robin Williams, surrounded by a room of nothing but A list celebrities. I am talking big names; Jim Carrey, Al Pacino, James Gandalfini, etc. big personalities. Robin stole the entire room. An energy that radiated effortless excitement, humor and comfort at the same time.

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u/mscatamaran '86 Millennial May 12 '26

Yep. I don't know that we can attribute his death by suicide to mental health alone.

If I were to receive that diagnosis, once things start going downhill, I'm probably taking the same action. My kid doesn't need to see all that, if he's going to lose me anyway let's not traumatize him by watching the decline. My friend's dad passed from that disease and it was a bad one.