Robin Williams' funeral may get an unexpected visit from members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who have labeled him as a "f*g pimp," The Huffington Post reported Saturday.
The family has said the actor's funeral will be an intimate ceremony near his home, and recently asked the public for privacy.
Westboro, a Kansas-based church group known for hateful protests that have targeted gays, their supporters and soldiers, mentioned the idea of a protest on Twitter a few times in recent days. Some who follow the group recognize that it often threatens protests that never happen.
But non-profit organization Planting Peace is set to challenge Westboro's demonstration with a fundraiser. The organization said Williams' appeal crossed generational boundaries and that the fundraiser is a small gesture to honor his legacy and the difference he made to so many people.
"When the WBC announced they were protesting Robin's funeral, we felt like launching a fundraiser for a charity Robin loved would be the perfect way to honor him and counteract the message of hate and intolerance that the WBC continues to convey," Aaron Jackson, co-founder of Planting Peace told The Huffington Post.
Funds raised will go to St. Jude Children's Hospital, an organization that was close to the actor's heart.
On Westboro's Twitter, the group posted a photo collage of Williams in different performances, including Peter Pan, Mrs. Doubtfire and the genie from Aladdin. Captions over the photos say "God is not mocked" and Robin in hell."
Westboro re-blogged a tweet from a user called Herdotie, who said the church planned to picket Williams' funeral and included a photo of the actor with "famous God-mocker in hell" written across his face on August 16.
Williams was found dead by his assistant on Monday inside his home in Tiburon, Calif. Authorities have reported the cause of death was "asphyxia due to hanging," but toxicology reports will take a few weeks to be finalized, according to the LA Times.
His wife, Susan Schneider, said in a statement that Williams' was still sober, but he struggled with battles of depression, anxiety and early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not ready to share publicly.
