RJ Mitte’s mother says the late actor’s family, friends and crew were “concerned” about his mental health before he died by suicide earlier this month.
Talk with The Hollywood ReporterDyna Mitte, explained that it was not a “specific action” Break the bad The star took, but “more about the conversation we were having – not just with me, but with his team and his friends.” Dyna said she “encouraged” Mitte to “talk to a therapist and share his feelings and how he saw things. A therapist could tell him what he saw and heard without having a personal stake in it.”
Mitte committed suicide on October 12 at his home in Brownsville, Texas. It was Dyna who found her son.
“When something torments you — whether it’s for an hour, a day, a week or a month — I think people can have moments of weakness,” she said. “I believe that’s what happened in this case. That’s not to say he didn’t have personal struggles. He opened up to me, his sister, his family members and his team members. I don’t know what else to say other than it wasn’t something we expected. A mother should never have to reunite with her child like that. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Dyna said she wanted to speak publicly about her son’s death to offer advice to other worried parents. “Parents need to listen to their children and watch for the signs,” she said. “I thought RJ was in a place where we had gotten over it and he was doing well. It wasn’t until he didn’t answer the phone that I recognized that as a red flag because we were talking regularly.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Dyna pushed back on speculation that Mitte’s career has been floundering since Break the badand that his finances were fragile. When it comes to his acting work, Dyna admitted that things slowed down during the pandemic, but have recently “picked up again.” She said Mitte has already released three films this year, with two more in the works, and has recently signed on for several future projects. Outside of acting, he was preparing to write a book and open a food truck.
As for his financial situation, Dyna said the speculation was linked to an incident with a manager years ago. Dyna said the issue “had already been resolved and was not related to what happened now.”
Dyna also spoke about a celebration of Mitte’s life ceremony that took place in Brownsville late last week. The event was attended by countless family members and friends of Mitte, as well as many professional peers. “The room was filled with producers, directors, casting agents, agents, managers and publicists,” Dyna said. “For an actor, that says a lot. All these people traveled to be there for him. It all had meaning to me, and I think RJ looked down and understood that it all had meaning to him too.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Dial 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org to reach the National lifeline for suicide prevention. The Trevor Projectwhich provides suicide prevention support and resources to LGBTQ+ youth, can be reached at 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (friends.org).
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