As of 11 August 2014, TMZ (a site not generally known for starting or propagating hoaxes) was reporting that 63-year-old comedian/actor Robin Williams was dead of a suicide:
The comedian killed himself in Tiburon, in Northern California.
According to the Marin County Sheriff's Office ... authorities found William's body inside his home. They say he was found unresponsive.
He was unconscious and not breathing and the coroner suspects suicide due to asphyxia.
Williams was last seen alive at his house at 10 PM Sunday night.
Williams went back to rehab last month to focus on his sobriety. We're told alcohol was an issue.
Williams struggled with cocaine and alcohol abuse in the early '80s but was sober for
Williams was 63.
Other media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times quickly confirmed the report was real, and not a celebrity death hoax:
Around 11:55 a.m. Monday, sheriff's officials said, a 911 call came in about a man unresponsive in his home in Tiburon. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The entertainment world publication Variety also reported that:
The cause of death is believed to be suicide via asphyxiation, according to the coroner’s office in Tiburon, Calif. He was found in his home.
According to his publicist, who confirmed the news, the actor had been battling depression of late and recently entered
The Marin County Coroner has posted a notice about the case stating:
An investigation into the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death is currently underway by the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Sheriff's Office. Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates
toxicology testing to be conducted.
The coroner later determined that Williams had hanged himself. Williams' wife maintained that the comedian was sober but struggling with early stages of Parkinson’s Disease at the time of his death.