Robin Williams AI media incident — Sep 2026

In September 2026, Zelda Williams issued a public statement condemning the circulation of an AI-generated video that falsely portrayed her late father, Robin Williams, discussing conspiracy theories. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges regarding digital likeness and the unauthorized use of a deceased performer's persona.

What happened

The deepfake video, which claimed to be a "private video" of the late actor, featured an AI-synthesized version of Robin Williams. Zelda Williams dismissed the quality of the content, describing the voice as "robotic and terrible," and noted that the clip was clearly artificial. She addressed the creator directly, urging them to cease using her father's likeness as a "puppet" and to respect his legacy by allowing him to rest.

Zelda Williams criticized the platform where the content was spreading, labeling it a "cesspool" dominated by bots and users susceptible to misinformation. This event follows a pattern of unauthorized AI recreations of the late actor. In an effort to combat the misuse of his voice and likeness, Zelda and her brothers, Zak and Cody, previously revived Robin Williams’ Instagram account as a platform to resist such AI abuse. Zelda Williams has been a vocal critic of AI ethics and performer consent, noting that this is not the first time she has had to publicly request that individuals cease sending her AI-generated videos of her father. She previously issued a similar plea in October 2025.