Valerie Velardi is a Connecticut-born American actress, dancer, and voice artist. She is best known for her roles in the 1980 film Popeye and the 2018 documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. She is best known as the first wife of late actor Robin Williams, from whom she divorced in 1988.

Quick Facts

Valerie Ann Velardi Biography

Valerie Ann Velardi was born on July 21, 1951, in Connecticut, USA, to her father Leonard Velardi and mother Dee Velardi. Valerie will be 72 years old in 2023 and will be born under the sign of Cancer. She has five siblings, the details of which will be discussed in the article below.

Valerie is of Caucasian descent and firmly believes in Christianity. Even though she was a part of Hollywood once and had been through so much trauma, she managed to keep her spirits up and never lost faith in her God.

Valerie Velardi’s parents, Leonard and Dee Velardi, divorced, leaving Valerie and her siblings with their father. Although information about her father’s occupation is unavailable, it can be assumed that raising five children on his own was difficult for Leonard Velardi.

Her mother Dee Velardi’s whereabouts are unknown following their divorce. Valerie’s siblings’ names are Leslie Velardi, her daughter, Leonard Velardi, Peter Velardi, and Theron Velardi, her brothers. All of the brothers and sisters lived together and helped each other. Valerie had to work to support the family in order to care for her father and siblings.

Valerie Ann Velardi Education

Valerie graduated from St. Mary’s High School in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, and completed her bachelor’s degree at Goddard College in Vermont, despite all obstacles. She later earned a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Mills College in California.

Valerie Velardi married Robin Williams, a well-known actor. She was Robin’s first wife and witnessed his meteoric rise to fame. The couple met when they both made their film debuts in the 1980 adaptation of Popeye’s.

Robin Williams rose to prominence as an actor and comedian. Even after his death, he remains one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. Robin Williams is one of the most well-known actors, with roles in films such as Goodwill Hunting, Dead Poet Society, Good Morning Vietnam, and Aladdin garnering him a large fan base. However, the well-known actor had a dark side, which we will explore further in this article.

Valerie Ann Velardi Husband, Marriage

Robin continued his acting career and went on to achieve massive fame and fan following, as we all know and love the actor. Valerie, on the other hand, left her acting career and became a stay-at-home wife and later mother, while continuing her dancing career.

Valerie Velardi described their first meeting as follows: Robin Williams was a bartender at a bar where Valerie was a cocktail waitress; Robin offered her a drink, and the two began talking. When Robin asked for “a ride home,” the couple clicked and had an intimate moment. She stated that he was conversing in French and that they later kissed.

Valerie Velardi gave birth to Robin Williams’ first child, Zachary AKA Zak Pym Williams, on April 11, 1983. Zak went on to become an actor and investor, appearing in films such as Slow Your Roll and The Graduates. Zak has been married twice, once to Olivia June, whom he married in 2020, and once to Alex Mallick Williams, whom he divorced in 2018.

Robin Williams and Valerie Velardi, no matter how close they were in the beginning, began to drift apart, and it was mostly due to Robin’s nature with the ladies. Valerie recently admitted that she let Robin have affairs with other women as long as the infamous actor returned home every night.

Valerie filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage, when Zak Williams was 5 years old, due to a series of events in Robin’s dating life. Robin Williams was sued before he met Valerie by a girl he was dating, but he won the case. The impregnation of Marsha Garces by Robin, Zak Williams’ babysitter, was the final straw.

Career

Valerie began her career in the entertainment industry with high hopes and expectations. When she was 15 years old, she landed her first role in the 1966 film Rappaccini. Then, in 1980, she co-starred in her second and final film, Popeye, with Robin Williams.

Valerie admitted that she worked as a cocktail waitress in the same bar as Robin while studying for her diploma. She later completed her degree and became a certified dancer. Valerie stated that she was too old to pursue a career as a dancer when she began.

Valerie changed careers and began teaching Yoga in 1983. She is currently a Yoga instructor in San Francisco, California. She now leads a calm and professional life and is very vocal about the importance of maintaining her body and spirituality. Valerie Velardi is also a dance instructor who has a large number of students.

Trivia

• In an interview, she revealed that Robin Williams and Valerie once owned two lizards, one parrot, and one iguana.
• Valerie Velardi, who is around 70 years old, manages to keep up with technology and maintains her own Instagram profile.
• Valerie goes to the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, USA.
• Valerie enjoys spending time with her grandson.
• She enjoys going on vacation and spending time at the beach.

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