The fight over who gets to use a dead celebrity's face and voice just got personal again.
Zak, Zelda, and Cody Williams revived their late father Robin Williams' Instagram account on Aug. 18, telling fans they wanted to create a "trusted" space to share real stories about the actor. Monday's post was the first on the @therobinwilliams handle since July 31, 2014, just days before the Oscar-winning comedian died by suicide at 63.
Zelda Williams, the eldest daughter, elaborated on the decision in an Instagram story on her personal account, recognizing it could be "triggering" for some fans to see the page active again. "Making that space into one where people can find authentic clips and photos of him is one of the best ways we've now found to fight back against rampant AI abuse of his voice and likeness on here," she wrote. "Might be a drop in the bucket, but we're trying."
That last line lands harder than any press release.
The account's previous final post was a birthday tribute to Zelda on August 1, 2014, eleven days before Robin Williams' death. Seeing the handle spring back to life 12 years later carried an understandable weight. The revival post drew more than 200,000 likes within days, and the account currently holds 82 posts and 346,000 followers.
In a joint statement posted to the account, the three siblings wrote: "As we recognize what would be our Dad's 75th year, we're grateful to see new generations discovering his work while longtime fans continue to celebrate the joy he brought into their lives." They added, "As technology evolves, we want this to be a safe, trusted place where the stories, photos, videos, and memories shared reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth, and care."
AI-generated videos recreating Williams' image and voice have gone viral in recent years, part of a wider wave of low-quality content often dubbed "AI slop." His instantly recognizable voice and face make him a frequent target for generative video tools. The problem escalated sharply in late 2025. After OpenAI launched its Sora 2 video app in late September of that year, unauthorized AI clips featuring Williams' likeness appeared almost immediately, and Zelda Williams asked people to stop sending her the deepfakes.
Her October 2025 plea was blunt. "Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad," she posted on her own Instagram story. "It's dumb, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it's NOT what he'd want." She described watching real legacies reduced to what she called "TikTok slop" as "maddening."
Growing backlash from advocacy groups, academics, and performer estates eventually pushed OpenAI to restrict content featuring public figures on Sora, though only after pressure from the likes of Bryan Cranston and SAG-AFTRA. OpenAI shut down the Sora app entirely in March 2026.
None of that stopped the flood. Fans and anonymous creators kept circulating Williams deepfakes across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram long after Sora vanished.
The Williams family's approach is practical rather than purely symbolic. Instead of only denouncing AI content, they are reclaiming the one verified channel where authentic Robin Williams material can live. Zelda Williams, herself an actress and director, has become the most outspoken of the three siblings on this issue. All three intend to share their father's "unique talent and humor with the world, including the moments that made us and so many of you laugh."
Robin Williams built one of the most versatile careers in Hollywood history. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and appeared posthumously when unused archival recordings of his voice as the Genie were used in Disney's 2023 short Once Upon a Studio. Earlier defining roles in Mork & Mindy, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Aladdin cemented his status across generations.
He died on August 11, 2014, while suffering from Lewy body dementia.
The broader industry context is shifting rapidly. In September 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two laws, AB 1836 and AB 2602, expanding the state's post-mortem right of publicity to prohibit the use of digital replicas of deceased or living performers without consent from their estates.
SAG-AFTRA says its contracts now include posthumous digital-replica protections and informed-consent requirements, though those measures do not automatically erase every AI imitation already circulating online.
Celebrities responded to the Instagram revival with visible support; singer Josh Groban, Shadowhunters star Katherine McNamara, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz all posted in the comments. Actor Matthew Lawrence, who co-starred with Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, told Entertainment Weekly last year that he would love to create something with Williams' voice using AI, calling it "so iconic," though he stressed he would only pursue such a project with the family's blessing.
Whether the reactivated page can actually stem the tide of unauthorized deepfakes remains an open question. What it can do is give fans a single, verified destination for real memories of one of comedy's most singular voices.
For Zelda, Zak, and Cody Williams, that counts.
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