Robin Williams' Ex-Wives: Who are Valerie Velardi and Marsha Garces?

As soon as Robin Williams' death was announced on Monday, his wife Susan Schneider immediately issued a statement to the media requesting them to respect the family's privacy to mourn the death of the actor.

Reports have it that Williams was battling depression before he took his life, and his first wife Valerie Velardi is said to have had a prime spot "to witness Robin Williams' madness behind the mask," as the Inquistr puts it.

The two married in 1978 and they welcomed their first son, Zachary Pym, in 1983. As Williams' career in Hollywood began to thrive, his dependency on alcohol and cocaine increased. At the time, there were also numerous reports of Williams' cheating ways, which was later proved when the comedian had an affair with his son's nanny, Marsha Garces.

Velardi is said to have hired Garces, who is of Philippine and French descent, when Zachary was 18 months old, and this action came with a cost. After almost a decade of marriage, Velardi and Williams split. Their divorce was finalised in 1988.

Garces, a nanny turned actor and producer, and Williams lived together a couple of years before they got hitched. They have two children -- Zelda Williams born in 1989 and Cody Williams in 1991. Garces has starred along with Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Patch Adams."

But they too hit a rocky patch when Williams started drinking again, and they divorced in 2008 citing irreconcilable differences. Their marriage is said to have fallen apart after Williams' alcohol relapse in 2006 after 20 years of sobriety.

Williams is said to have lost millions in his divorce.

"The movies are good, but a lot of times they don't even have distribution. There are bills to pay. My life has downsized, in a good way," Williams said in a 2013 interview with Parade magazine. "I'm selling the ranch up in Napa. I just can't afford it anymore. … Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it 'all the money,' but they changed it to 'alimony.' It's ripping your heart out through your wallet. Are things good with my exes? Yes. But do I need that lifestyle? No."

While Williams' second divorce was amicable, his first one with Velardi was under a lot of strain due to his cheating ways.

Soon after Williams death was announced, Garces released a statement through her ex-husband's representative stating that the family is yet to grapple with the loss.

"My heart is split wide open and scattered over the planet with all of you. Please remember the gentle, loving, generous - and yes, brilliant and funny - man that was Robin Williams. My arms are wrapped around our children as we attempt to grapple with celebrating the man we love, while dealing with this immeasurable loss," Garces said, according to ABC News.