The death of Robin Williams was one of the most shocking and heartbreaking celebrity deaths in recent history. It's been seven years since Robin's death by suicide shocked the world.
As much as his fans felt his loss, that loss was deeper to those closest to him. One of those most affected was Robin's son, Zak. On the occasion of the seventh anniversary of Robin's death, Zak opened up about his dad in a beautiful tribute.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
Zak took to Twitter with his tribute to his dad. "Dad, seven years ago today you passed on," he tweeted with a photo of Robin.
"The joy and inspiration you brought to the world carries on in your legacy and in your family, friends and fans you so loved. You lived to bring laughter and to help others. I will be celebrating your memory today. Love you forever."
Robin has clearly been heavy on Zak's mind in recent weeks. He also posted a message to his dad on Robin's birthday.
"Dad, on what would be your 70th birthday, I would want you to know that your incredible spirit lives within us," he wrote.
"Our family will be celebrating you and your memory today. We miss you and love you always!"
Zak recently spoke out on the impact his father's death had on his own mental health in Oprah and Prince Harry's mental health series, The Me You Can't See.
"I found myself extremely emotionally disregulated and feeling vulnerable and exposed when I wasn't ready to be vulnerable," Zak shared.
"From my end, I didn't get a chance to focus on the private grieving process until about a year and a half after my dad passed away."
Since Robin's death, Zak has become a father to two children himself. He's also talked about how he's introducing his dad's legacy to his little family.
"I have slowly started showing photos and pictures to my son, things from movies and in animation that my dad was in," he shared.
"We have photos and memories around our home and he's drawn to them. And so when he sees the Genie from 'Aladdin' or when he sees a photo of his grandfather, he's drawn to it," Zak continued.
"And so we talk about it … It's a nice way to carry on my dad's legacy related to our family history."
Zak has also spoke about how important he's learned self-care is in these last several years.
"I'm not broken… through taking care of myself and committing to supporting myself I can show up for others in the way that I want to," he said.
"And the healing and recovery process associated with experiencing a deep trauma relating to the suicide of a loved one is a process that takes awhile and there's ups and downs. But the key thing is that most of the time there's opportunities to find joy and to figure out how to live a meaningful and happy life. So that's what I'd say."
