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Williams’ secret battle with Parkinson’s disease

Robin Williams was struggling — in almost total secrecy — against early-stage Parkinson’s disease when he killed himself, his anguished widow revealed on Thursday.

Williams was sick but sober when he hanged himself in their home near San Francisco, wife Susan Schneider said in a statement.

“Robin’s sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly,” Schneider, a graphic designer, said in the statement, which was released by Williams’ publicist.

Williams, 63, had told no one but his family about the disease. Even close friends had no clue he was battling the devastating, incurable condition, which can lead to tremors, depression, sleeplessness and dementia, and leave a sufferer bed-bound in a decade.

“It’s heartbreaking to know [now] that he was diagnosed,” said close friend Tony Tom, a San Francisco bicycle repairman who knew Williams for 30 years.

“Kind of makes a little more sense,” Tom said of his friend’s suicide. “That was one thing he feared — he didn’t relish getting old.”

Shocked by the posthumous Parkinson’s revelation was actor Michael J. Fox, 53, who has lived with the illness since being diagnosed in 1991.

Fox, who didn’t go public with his own diagnosis until 1998, is the most active advocate for research and education among the celebrities who have Parkinson’s, a list that includes boxing legend Muhammad Ali, former Attorney General Janet Reno and Olympic cyclist Davis Phinney.

Williams had been a guest host at a November 2004 gala fundraiser that the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research had thrown at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

Fox, who has stayed active and continued his career for almost a quarter-century with the disease, has been a comfort to countless sufferers of the illness, which afflicts an estimated 1 percent of Americans over the age of 60.

The Parkinson’s revelation also casts an ironic light on Williams’ success in cheering up Christopher Reeve after the “Superman” actor was thrown from a horse and paralyzed in 1995.

When crippling debilitation struck, Williams could shore up his longtime friend’s spirits — barging into Reeve’s hospital room in medical scrubs, claiming to be a proctologist — but he could not cast out his own demons.

“For the first time since the accident, I laughed,” Reeve had recalled of the moment. “My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be OK.”

Reeve died in 2004.

Schneider released her poignant statement from seclusion, and has not been back at the Tiburon home she shared with Williams since immediately after speaking to cops on Monday, the day Williams’ body was found hanged by a belt in his bedroom, neighbors told the Daily Mail.

“Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched,” her statement continued.

The pair’s relationship had appeared strained at times during the past year. The Marin County coroner’s office, in announcing the apparent cause of death Tuesday, said Williams and Schneider had retired to separate bedrooms Sunday night and she thought he was still asleep when she left the house the next morning.

And Schneider was a virtual no-show on the set of “The Crazy Ones,” Williams’ ill-fated return to series TV, insiders told The Post, steering clear even while other cast members flooded the sound stage with spouses and children.

“We never saw her,” said one source of Schneider.

“Other people all brought their spouses — Sarah Michelle Gellar would bring Freddie Prinze and her daughter to visit all the time,” the source said. “But Robin Williams was only ever with his assistant,” close friend Rebecca Erwin-Spencer, who’d worked with Williams for decades and was the one who found his body.

“He would say, ‘My wife is working in San Francisco’ . . . It was as if he felt a little left out. He seemed to be missing her.”

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THE NIGHT LISTENER, Robin Williams, 2006, ©IFC Films/courtesy Everett Collection
As a father figure in "The Night Listener" in 2006Everett Collection
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA - OCTOBER 26: Robin Williams photographed backstage before his performance at the Ted Constant Convocation Center during a 30-city tour October, 26, 2009 in Norfolk, Virginia. (Photo by Jay Paul/Getty Images)
Backstage before performing in Norfolk, Va., in 2009Getty
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THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, (aka LE MONDE SELON GARP), John Irving (center), Robin Williams (right), 1982, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection
Wrestling as the title character in "The World According to Garp" (with author John Irving in a cameo as the referee)Everett Collection
MORK AND MINDY, from left, Raquel Welch, Robin Williams, epsidoe aired November 18, 1979, 1978-82, ©Paramount Television/Courtesy: Everett Collection
With Raquel Welch on "Mork and Mindy"
FILE - This Nov. 12, 1979 file photo shows actor-comedian Robin Williams, third from right, dressed as a cheerleader with the Broncos' Pony Express cheerleaders during the filming of an episode of "Mork & Mindy," in Denver. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, has died in an apparent suicide. He was 63. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office said Williams was pronounced dead at his home in California on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation showed the cause of death to be a suicide due to asphyxia. (AP Photo/File)
As a Denver Broncos Pony Express cheerleader in 1979AP
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WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, Robin Williams, 1998, (c)PolyGram Filmed Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection
Heaven was both real and imaginary for Williams in "What Dreams May Come" in 1998.Everett Collection
TOYS, Robin Williams, 1992, TM and Copyright ©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./courtesy Everett Collection
In "Toys" in 1992Everett Collection
PATCH ADAMS, Robin Williams (left), 1998. © Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection
As "Patch Adams" in 1998Everett Collection
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MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON, Robin Williams, 1984
In "Moscow on the Hudson" in 1984Everett Collection
JACK, from left: Diane Lane, Robin Williams, 1996, © Buena Vista/courtesy Everett Collection
In "Jack" in 1996Everett Collection
As "Jack" in 1996Everett Collection
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Comedian Robin Williams performs at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on October 21, 2009 in Hollywood, Florida. Pictured: Robin Williams Ref: SPL819429 110814 Picture by: Splash News Splash News and Pictures Los Angeles: 310-821-2666 New York: 212-619-2666 London: 870-934-2666 photodesk@splashnews.com
Performing at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., in 2009
CADILLAC MAN, Robin Williams, 1990. ©Orion Pictures Corp/courtesy Everett Collection
In "Cadillac Man" in 1990Everett Collection
With John Turturro in "Being Human" in 1994
With John Turturro in "Being Human" in 1994Everett Collection
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"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" in 1988
"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" in 1988Everett Collection
WORLD'S GREATEST DAD, Robin Williams (center), 2009. ©Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
In "World's Greatest Dad" in 2009Everett Collection
POPEYE, Robin Williams as Popeye, 1980. ©Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection
As the super-strong, spinach-loving sailor "Popeye" in 1980Everett Collection
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MAN OF THE YEAR, Robin Williams (center), 2006, ©Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
As a Jon Stewart-type funnyman in "Man of the Year" in 2006Ava Gerlitz/Universal
JUMANJI, Robin Williams, 1995, ©Columbia TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection
Williams was a pawn in a board game that came to life in "Jumanji" in 1996.Everett Collection
JAKOB THE LIAR, Robin Williams, 1999. ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
As a shopkeeper spreading hope through his Holocaust ghetto in Poland in "Jakob the Liar" in 1999Everett Collection
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INSOMNIA, Robin Williams, Al Pacino, 2002 (c) Warner Brothers, courtesy Everett Collection
In "Insomnia" with Al Pacino in 2002Everett Collection
Nolan, ROBIN WILLIAMS. Photographer: DP Chung Hoon Chung
In "Boulevard" in 2014Everett Collection
THE BIG WHITE, Robin Williams, 2005. ©Ascendant Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
In "The Big White" in 2005Everett Collection
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CLUB PARADISE, from left, Robin Williams, Eugene Levy, 1986, ©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection
With director Harold Ramis on the set of "Club Paradise" in 1986Everett Collection
THE FISHER KING, Robin Williams, 1991, © TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection
In "The Fisher King" in 1991Everett Collection
FATHERS' DAY, from left: Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, 1997, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection
Robin Williams and Billy Crystal in "Father's Day" in 1997Everett Collection
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BICENTENNIAL MAN, Robin Williams, 1999, © Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection
In "Bicentennial Man" in 1999Everett Collection
THE BEST OF TIMES, from left: Robin Williams, Kurt Russell, 1986, © Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
In "The Best of Times" with Kurt Russell in 1986Everett Collection
FILE AUGUST 11: According to reports August 11, 2014 actor Robin Williams has died of a suspected suicide in Tiburon, California. He was 63. AUSTIN, TX - FEBRUARY 19: Comedian Robin Williams performs in concert at The Frank Erwin Center on February 19, 2009 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)
Performing at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, in 2009FilmMagic
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NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 25: Robin Williams filming Phil Alden Robinson's "The Angriest Man In Brooklyn"on theStreets of Brooklyn on September 25, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Aby Baker/Getty Images)
Filming "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" in 2012Getty
Mork also found himself landing on "Happy Days," in two appearances in 1978 and 1979.
Mork also found himself landing on "Happy Days," in two appearances in 1978 and 1979.ABC
Opposite Al Pacino in "Insomnia" (2002).
Opposite Al Pacino in "Insomnia" (2002)Warner Bros.
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At right in another animated persona, Fender, in "Robots" (2005).
At right in another animated persona, Fender, in "Robots" (2005)Twentieth Century Fox
Sharing a laugh with daughter Zelda and co-star Anton Yelchin in "House of D" (2004).
Sharing a laugh with daughter Zelda and co-star Anton Yelchin in "House of D" (2004)Lionsgate
With Nathan Lane in the screen adaptation of "The Birdcage" (1996).
With Nathan Lane in the screen adaptation of "The Birdcage" (1996)United Artists
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Williams voiced this colorful penguin in "Happy Feet" (2006) and a sequel (2011).
Williams voiced this colorful penguin in "Happy Feet" (2006) and a sequel (2011).Warner Bros.
In drag to remain with his estranged family in "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993).
In drag to remain with his estranged family in "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993)Twentieth Century Fox
Perhaps his most popular tole, that of mouthy armed forces radio host Adrian Cronauer in "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987).
Perhaps his most popular role, that of mouthy armed forces radio host Adrian Cronauer in "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987)Touchstone Pictures
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With Cheryl Hines in "RV" (2006)
With Cheryl Hines in "RV" (2006)Columbia Pictures
With Freddie Highmore in tow in "August Rush" (2007)
With Freddie Highmore in tow in "August Rush" (2007)Warner Bros
Flanked by John Krasinski and Mandy Moore in "License to Wed" (2007).
Flanked by John Krasinski and Mandy Moore in "License to Wed" (2007)Warner Bros.
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With John Travolta in "Old Dogs" (2009)
With John Travolta in "Old Dogs" (2009)Disney
With longtime pals Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal at their 1986 Comic Relief telethon.
With longtime pals Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal at their 1986 Comic Relief telethonComic Relief
With Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in a 2008 guest spot on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
With Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in a 2008 guest spot on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"NBC
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As grown-up Peter Pan, face to face with Dustin Hoffman's Captain Hook in "Hook."
As a grown-up Peter Pan, face to face with Dustin Hoffman's Captain Hook in "Hook" (1991) Amblin Entertainment
As absent-minded Phillip Brainard in "Flubber" (1997)
As absent-minded Phillip Brainard in "Flubber" (1997)Buena Vista Pictures
With Edward Norton in the cult favorite "Death to Smoochy" (2002).
With Edward Norton in the cult favorite "Death to Smoochy" (2002)Warner Bros.
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In the thriller "Final Cut" (2004)
In the thriller "Final Cut" (2004) Lionsgate
As the Genie in Disney's animated "Aladdin" (1992).
As the voice of the Genie in Disney's animated "Aladdin" (1992)Disney
On his recent CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones," which lasted one season.
On his recent CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones," which lasted one seasonCBS
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As a creepy photomat tech in "One Hour Photo" (2002).
As a creepy photomat tech in "One Hour Photo" (2002)Fox Searchlight Pictures
As Dwight D. Eisenhower, alongside Forest Whitaker, in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (2013)
As Dwight D. Eisenhower, alongside Forest Whitaker, in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (2013)The Weinstein Company
"Moscow on the Hudson" (1984)
"Moscow on the Hudson" (1984)Columbia Pictures
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With Mila Kunis in his latest, "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" (2014)
With Mila Kunis in his latest, "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" (2014)Lionsgate
With Robert De Niro in "Awakenings" (1990)
With Robert DeNiro in "Awakenings" (1990)Columbia Pictures
In his breakout role as spaceman Mork from Ork — with Pam Dawber — in a 1978 episode of "Mork & Mindy" ABC
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"Dead Poets Society" (1989)
"Dead Poets Society" (1989)Touchstone PIctures
With Ben Stiller in "Night at the Museum" (2006)
With Ben Stiller in "Night at the Museum" (2006)20th Century Fox Film Corp.
With Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting" (1997), for which Williams won Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.
With Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting" (1997), for which Williams won Best Supporting Actor at the Academy AwardsMiramax
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