RJ Mitte’s mother, Dyna, paid tribute to her son’s “deep empathy” and “never-ending curiosity” in a heartbreaking Instagram post. She also described the warning sign that led her to realize he had died by suicide earlier this month at age 34.
Mitte, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three, became widely known for playing Walter White’s son on Breaking Bad. Dyna and her then-husband, Roy Frank Mitte Jr., adopted him as a newborn.
At 13, he became his family’s primary breadwinner after a car accident ruptured Dyna’s spine, leaving her paralyzed below the waist for several years.
“What can I say about my precious child? From the day we got RJ at 3 days old, he has been inspiring and sharing his heart with everyone he met,” Dyna wrote Tuesday.
“Whether he was learning to manage—and eventually thrive—with cerebral palsy or finding his place in the acting community, everything required hard work. But he succeeded and was always ready for the next challenge.”
She recalled the joy of watching her son connect with people, praising the way he “instantly charmed his way into people’s lives like they were family.”
RJ Mitte’s mother, Dyna, praised his “deep empathy” and “never-ending curiosity” in an emotional tribute posted two weeks after his death at age 34; RJ and Dyna are pictured in 2014
Dyna described life with RJ as “a constant adventure.” When he traveled for work, she wrote, “he always made it fun. From Florida to Lithuania, he knew all the historical facts and places we should see, and we would always go just to satisfy his never-ending curiosity.”
She expressed pride in “everything he overcame to become the man the world was just beginning to know,” and highlighted his “deep empathy for those who needed him to be their voice.” For RJ, she added, “it was never a burden, but a role he loved to play.”
“We are lost without him, yet we know he wouldn’t want us to be,” Dyna continued. “He would want his message heard and the work we were doing with The Mitte Foundation in Brownsville to continue.”
Founded by the actor’s paternal grandparents, The Mitte Foundation is a nonprofit focused on improving “the quality of life of Central Texans.”
Telling fans that she had seen their messages and would respond in time, Dyna wrote: “My son was an incredibly special and sensitive soul who did so much for his family, his community, and the world, and we will mourn him for the rest of our days.”
Her tribute followed comments in which Dyna said her son’s death had been “unexpected” because his career was progressing and he had been speaking with a therapist.
“Parents should listen to their children and watch for signs. I thought RJ was in a place where we had gotten over the hump and that he was okay,” she said.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “It wasn’t until he didn’t answer the phone that I recognized it as a red flag, because we talked regularly.”
Mitte, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three, rose to fame on Breaking Bad after being adopted as a newborn by Dyna and her then-husband, Roy Frank Mitte Jr.
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Dyna said she had grown concerned about RJ because of “the conversations we were having—not just with me, but with his team and friends.”
She therefore “encouraged him to talk to a counselor,” explaining that “it’s always good to have an outside counselor, a third party with no ‘skin in the game,’ as we say in the South.” She said she urged him to discuss his feelings and his perspective with a therapist.
Dyna also rejected speculation that RJ had been facing professional or financial difficulties. “I know there’s been some speculation that his career had taken a dive or this and that. And honestly, I want to straighten that out right now,” she told the publication.
“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. Honestly, RJ had three movies that had already come out this year. He had two more coming out. He had already signed deals on several new movies that he was going to be filming.”
“There were talks about different projects. He had a book coming out and a food truck he was starting. He had a lot going on.”
She also addressed reports about a financial dispute involving a manager, saying it had happened years earlier, been resolved and was unrelated to his death.
In the interview, Dyna also discussed speculation that RJ had been experiencing conflict with his fiancée.
Mitte rose to prominence on the hit series Breaking Bad, pictured here in 2008 with his onscreen parents, Bryan Cranston and Anna Gunn
She said RJ had seen his fiancée only three or four times since she moved away in December. While acknowledging that the couple had faced difficulties, Dyna said she did not want to discuss the details of his private life.
Dyna said she believed her son had suffered a setback in his mental health and made the decision to end his life during what she called a “weak moment.”
Although RJ had been dealing with personal struggles and had spoken openly with his family, she said they never imagined he would take his own life.
“A mother should never have to find her child that way,” she said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
RJ was honored at a Celebration of Life ceremony held Friday at the Mitte Center in Brownsville, Texas.
Following his death, his former Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston said he was “in deep despair” over the tragedy. Aaron Paul also shared a statement, writing: “I am at a loss.”
“I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you, my friend. You will be missed.”
