From the CBC website:

 

Robin Williams, the Academy Award winner and comic supernova whose explosions of pop culture riffs and impressions dazzled audiences for decades and made him a gleamy-eyed laureate for the information age, died Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 63.

 

Williams was pronounced dead at his home in California on Monday, according to the sheriff's office in Marin County, north of San Francisco. The sheriff's office said a preliminary investigation shows the cause of death to be a suicide due to asphyxia.

 

"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken," said Williams' wife, Susan Schneider. "On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions,"

 

Williams had been battling severe depression recently, said Mara Buxbaum, his press representative.

The rest of the article is at this link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/robin-williams-dead-in-apparent-suicide-1.2733770

That's unfortunate, I guess money can never truly buy everyone happiness.

Sad to hear. He spent his life bringing happiness to others but couldn't find it for himself.

A hard reminder that those that share the most joy, often hold onto the most pain. Oh Captain My Captain - RIP

RIP to a man who put smiles on a ton of peoples faces, It's sad that he apparently couldn't make himself smile. Very unfortunate sad news. It seems that most of the worlds funniest people have some severe demons they have to deal with everyday. Nanoo Nanoo. 

I can't really add to the previous comments above because they are all so well said. I'll just say he is going to be missed. 

My avatar says it all for me.  He was one of the first funny men I truly thought was amazing, and still do.

 

"Mork calling Orson, come in Orson...nanoo"

Most original comedian since Jonathan Winters.

 

This is just beyond most of us.

Truly sad, feel so bad for his family ...

Some kind of update on the whole situation.. Couldn't have been easy

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/14/showbiz/robin-williams-parkinsons-disease/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's which my father is battling. Awful sad.

On my other socials I see people talking about depression a lot more, which is good -- depression is a real disease that ruins lives and sometimes takes them.

Support is not a cure, love is not a cure, money and success and fame are certainly not cures.

Where I come from, people (especially men) are old school and Just Dont Talk about emotional issues. That's not a good approach. If you're depressed, you gotta acknowledge it and go get some help and treat it as seriously as you would any other disease. No shame in it. You're just another one of the estimated 10% of North Americans who (like me) are sick that way.

Gene Simmons made some pretty dumb comments, turns out to be pretty poor timing as well. Ironic for a musician.