I was never a big fan of Robin Williams. His TV show, Mork & Mindy, was funny for a sitcom, but it was so long ago I no longer remember much about it. I think one of the stars was murdered by a stalker. None of his movies jump out to me. People tell me Goodwill Hunting is great, but I never watched it. These things are a matter of taste and for whatever reason Robin Williams never did anything for me.

The public reaction to his decision to kill himself is interesting to me. I read a lot of sites and always read the comments. I can’t recall the last time I saw a reference to Robin Williams. Yet, it seems everyone is now commenting upon the guy, as if he was a national treasure, who died after a heroic fight with cancer. Because he was a weird and deeply troubled comic, everyone is trying to draw lessons from his death, other than the fact he was a deeply disturbed person who killed himself.

This story about his money trouble is not terribly flattering.

Robin Williams‘ tragic death at age 63 came as a shock to the world who knew him only as a lovable comic figure. But a source close to the Mrs. Doubtfire star tells RadarOnline.com that in addition to his addiction struggle, the actor recently confided to a family friend that he had “serious money troubles,” and was worried about his family’s financial security.

According to a family friend who had spoken to Williams recently, “All he could talk about were serious money troubles. There were clearly other issues going on and Robin sounded distant during the telephone conversation. Robin was known for being so generous to his friends and family during the height of his success, and would help anyone out that needed it.”

“There was also frustration that Robin expressed at having to take television and movie roles he didn’t want to take, but had to for the paycheck,” the source said, referencing his recently announced decision to film Mrs. Doubtfire 2. “Doing sequels was never Robin’s thing, and he wasn’t that excited at having to reprise the role of Mrs. Doubtfire, which was scheduled to start filming later this year.”

Robin Williams made an enormous amount of money so it took an enormous amount of effort to squander it. Most people in serious money trouble are worried about making rent and buying food. Williams was worried about making a sequel. A lot of people in  would give their left nut to be so burdened. I’m sure suicide sounded like a great way out his troubles, but is hard to see how that is going to help his family. Thanks to his selfish act, they are facing even bigger financial problems.

Then again, maybe they are relieved of a greater burden now. That is the thing seldom discussed about suicides. The people who do it are usually a burden on their families and friends for a long time. Their constant depression and demands for attention put a lot of pressure on everyone around them. It is very frustrating for family. They try to help the person, but there is little they can do but suffer along with them. Inevitably, there’s a fair amount of bitterness and resentment.

When I was a kid I stopped a family member from killing herself. They were on some sort of meds and tried to swallow the whole bottle. I’ll never know if she staged it so I would stop her or it was just dumb luck. Either way, I forever resented that person afterward. Even as a kid it struck me that the person was being horribly selfish. There are some things you can never ask of another person. If you do, you fail at the basic human contract, the unwritten and unspoke agreement.

I suppose that’s why I can’t muster much sympathy for Robin Williams. Even if I was a fan, I’d still be thinking about his poor family and the horrible things he put them through and what he has done as his final act. The man leaves three kids who will forever be haunted by the fact their father killed himself. It’s hard to respect a man who does such a thing. Suicide was his last act of cowardice.

Then there is the proportionality. Robin Williams was a comic and an actor. Not one single life on this planet would be significantly altered if he had decided to be a plumber or a truck driver. If Obama drops dead, the world changes in a big way. If a famous scientist dies, then we have a great life worthy of mourning. If a doctor drops dead, his patients will suffer a real loss. That’s worth remembering. The death of a man who got rich pretending to be someone else is just not that big of a deal.