Robin Williams was cremated a day after he was found dead in his home, multiple outlets are reporting.
RadarOnline was first to report that according to the actor’s death certificate, of which the site has obtained a copy, “Williams was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the San Francisco Bay just one day after his death, on August 12.”
The certificate — issued by the State of California, County of Marin — also lists Williams’ cause of death as “pending investigation.”
It is worth noting that under California law, only authorized persons may receive authorized certified copies of death records (parents, children of the deceased, attorneys, law enforcement, etc.) “Those who are not authorized to receive an authorized certified copy will receive a certified copy marked ‘Informational, not a valid document to establish identity,'” according to Marin County’s division of records website. Media is not listed under authorized persons.
However, Richard N. Benson, who signed RadarOnline’s alleged copy of Williams’ death certificate, appears in the county’s directory.
TMZ, E! News, Us Weekly, Extra, New York Daily News and more have followed up with reports of the cremation.
Williams was found dead in his Tiburon, California, home on August 11. According to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the actor, who was 63 at the time of his death, hanged himself. At a press conference held August 12 — the day he was reportedly cremated — a rep for the sheriff’s office said toxicology tests will determine if Williams had any substances in his system at his time of death.
A couple of days later, Williams’ wife Susan Schneider revealed he was diagnosed with early stages of Parkinson’s Disease.
The upcoming Emmys ceremony, to be broadcasted on NBC Monday, August 25, will honor Robin Williams with an “in memoriam” segment by his longtime friend, Billy Crystal.
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