RJ Mitte’s mother is speaking out about his death to help other families who may one day see the same warning signs she did.
Dyna Mitte talked with The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom, hours after a Celebration of Life for the “Breaking Bad” actor at the Mitte Center in Brownsville, Texas. Mitte died by suicide on Oct. 12 at his home in Texas. He was 34.
“Listen to your children. Watch for the signs. Be in tune with them, be there for them and be willing to get help when it’s needed,” she told the outlet.
The ‘Red Flag’
She said the family knew he was going through a hard time. “There were concerns. That’s why I encouraged him to talk to a counselor,” she said.
She believed he was doing better. “I thought R.J. was in a place where we had gotten over the hump and that he was OK,” she said. “It wasn’t until he didn’t answer the phone that I recognized it as a red flag, because we talked regularly.”
Her biggest message to parents, she said, is to get a child help even if they don’t want it, whether they’re an adult or a minor. “You find a way to get them there,” she said.
She first talked about his death in an exclusive interview with NBC News on Oct. 15, where she also urged parents to watch for warning signs.
His Career
She also addressed speculation online that his career had slowed down.
“R.J. had three movies that have already come out this year. He has two more coming out,” she told THR. She said he had already signed on to several new movies, had a book coming out and was starting a food truck.
Asked about a financial situation involving a former manager, she said it “happened years ago, had already been resolved, and was not related to what happened now.”
His Fiancée
On reports about his fiancée, she said some things “are private and are not my story to tell.” She said there were struggles, and that his fiancée moved in December and the two had seen each other only three or four times since then.
A Second Memorial
The family is working on a second Celebration of Life in Los Angeles. She said it will probably be on Oct. 30, but the details aren’t final.
Mitte played Walter White Jr. on “Breaking Bad” and spent years speaking up for people with disabilities, working with Shriners Hospitals for Children and United Cerebral Palsy.
“He’s still helping people,” his mother said. “He would want me to raise awareness.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
