The False Rumor Everyone Believed About Robin Williams Was Debunked By His Daughter

Prior to his tragic death in 2014, Robin Williams lived quite the interesting life. In addition to his massive success as an actor and comedian, the "Jumanji" star certainly had his share of unique stories to tell — from the time he accidently broke Robert De Niro's nose, to his days living with future "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve before either of them hit it big. That being said, not every story you've heard about Williams is true. For instance, contrary to online "fun facts," there's no evidence whatsoever that the actor's extensive improvisation on "Aladdin" cost the animated film a Best Screenplay nomination at the Oscars. And that's not even taking into account another rumor that Robin's stunning daughter, Zelda Williams, personally debunked.

Over the years, a number of online posts have claimed that Robin owned a pet monkey, with a picture of the actor alongside a tufted capuchin often being attached as "proof." But as some have pointed out as early as 2020, the monkey was not actually his. Rather, the animal was a prominent monkey actor by the name of Crystal, who starred alongside Robin in the "Night at the Museum" film series. Nevertheless, the posts continued, prompting Zelda to shut the rumor down once and for all.

"It's been brought to my attention some probably AI written BS like this is going viral," Robin's daughter wrote in a now-deleted post to X, formerly known as Twitter (via The Independent). "Dad didn't own a pet monkey," she continued, adding, "NO ONE should, and if you're ever tempted to, support your local exotic animal rescues instead. That is his Night at the Museum costar, who now lives at one."

Crystal the monkey co-starred in all three live-action "Night at the Museum" movies from 2006 to 2014, portraying the monkey Dexter opposite Robin Williams' Theodore Roosevelt and Ben Stiller's Larry Daley. The animal actor even pulled double duty in 2009's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," portraying not only Dexter but also Able, the monkey that NASA sent to space in 1959. Granted, the real-life Able was a rhesus monkey, while Crystal is a tufted capuchin, but we'll let it slide. 

At any rate, Crystal's filmography goes much deeper than "Night at the Museum." She made her on-screen debut in the 1997 "George of the Jungle" movie, appearing alongside certified '90s heartthrob Brendan Fraser. Crystal's other work includes films like 1998's "Dr. Dolittle," 2011's "The Hangover Part II," and 2011's "We Bought a Zoo" (in which she actually plays herself), in addition to TV roles in shows such as "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Community."

Rather than Robin Williams, Crystal has historically been looked after by her trainer, Tom Gunderson, who says that she's uniquely qualified for an acting career. "Most monkeys tend to be rebellious or overzealous — they don't like people telling them what to do," Gunderson told Variety in 2014, adding, "But Crystal doesn't like to just goof around. She's very smart about figuring out things. She likes to do activities that exercise not just her body but her brain." Given Williams' experience working with Crystal on "Night at the Museum," which involved the monkey accidentally relieving herself on him, he probably wouldn't have wanted her as a pet, anyway. He indicated as such, telling New York Magazine in 2012, "It combines the worst aspects of working with children and animals when you have an animal that looks like a child."