Tributes are still pouring in for late actor RJ Mitte, who famously played Breaking Bad character Walter White Jr. Mitte died by suicide at age 34 nearly a week ago, and he’s been praised for his work as an actor and for his efforts as an advocate for the disabled community. At the same time, rumors have also been swirling around Mitte’s career, with some sources alleging that by the time he died, he was in the midst of severe career and money struggles. Now, Mitte’s mother is seeking to provide clarity on those rumors.
Dyna Mitte has been speaking out about her son in the aftermath of his passing and, in the process, she’s been candid about the circumstances in different respects. After speaking out, Dyna explained that she was the person who found RJ’s body at his home in Texas. The Mitte matriarch also spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, during which mentioned the speculation swirling around her son’s acting career to “straighten that out.” Per Dyna, contrary to reports, RJ had a lot on his plate from a professional standpoint:
They used to say, ‘You may do a thousand auditions before you land one job.’ Well, obviously it doesn’t work that way today. Of course, COVID made things kind of slow but things picked back up. But honestly, R.J. had three movies that have already come out this year. He has two more coming out. He has already signed deals on several new movies that he was going to be filming. There were talks of different things. He had a book coming out. He had a food truck he was starting. He had a lot going on.
Shortly before his death, Mitte had actually been promoting one of his 2026 movie releases, Talking to Strangers. It was during that press tour that the late star not only discussed some of the biggest Breaking Bad moments but also talked about having experienced financial hurdles following the show’s conclusion in 2013. Mitte himself said his attempts to team his professional team together proved to be costly, though there’s also been a rumor about a manager allegedly absconding with much of his money. On that topic, Dyna said:
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There had also been speculation about a financial situation involving a manager. That happened years ago, had already been resolved, and was not related to what happened now.
Mitte starred on all five seasons of Breaking Bad and appeared in several of its best episodes. After news of Mitte’s passing broke, former co-stars like Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul paid tribute. Days before his death, the Triumph star also hung out with another BB alum, Luis Moncada. Per Moncada, Mitte was dealing with unspecified difficulties before his passing and had arranged a hot air balloon outing to help give him an outlet. Moncada also explained that he’d offered Mitte the chance to stay with him and his son.
Even now, Mitte remains well known for his role as Walt Jr., and many continue to discover his strong performance on Vince Gilligan’s iconic drug dealer drama. That’s still, however, just one portion of Mitte’s legacy, as he used his voice to speak up for those living with cerebral palsy like he did. And, for his acting and advocacy efforts, SAG-AFTRA honored him with the Harold Russell Award.
RJ Mitte was most recently honored this past Friday, October 16, during a Celebration of Life ceremony that took place at the Mitte Center in Brownsville, Texas. Dyna Mitte was moved by the event, which was attended by a considerable number of people. Aside from clearing the air on RJ’s career and finances, she also said that she was doing her best to navigate the situation and was “taking one step at a time.”
