RJ Mitte’s mom breaks silence after son's death at 34: ‘I’m tired and emotional’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: RJ Mitte’s mother has opened up about the grief of losing her son, who died at the age of 34 on October 12.
Dyna Mitte said that she’s “tired and emotional” and “taking one step at a time” after the tragedy.
RJ Mitte's mother says she feels 'a little beat up emotionally'
In honor of RJ, a Celebration of Life ceremony was held at the Mitte Center in Brownsville, Texas. Though the devastated mother did not stand at the podium, later she spoke to The Hollywood Reporter.
When Dyna was asked about her feelings, she replied, “It’s a difficult thing for a parent to lose a child, and then to face the day of the actual celebration of life. It takes a lot out of you.”
“I’m glad to do this [interview], but I’m tired and emotional. I feel a little beat up emotionally, but I think this is important,” she noted.
RJ Mitte's mother talks about his childhood
Dyna also revealed why she chose not to speak at the ceremony held on Friday, October 16.
“It’s hard enough to plan a funeral or a celebration of life — to know that you’re waking up without your son or daughter and will never see or hear them again. To then stand up and share all of that with people was not something I felt prepared to do on that particular day,” she explained.
Elsewhere during the interview, the late actor’s mother talked about his childhood days, calling him “the light of my life.”
She said, “RJ was adopted at three days old and was the light of my life. He was a very smart child who started speaking words at nine months. He was always an achiever, and he lit up a room with his big smile.”
Describing the ‘Breaking Bad’ star as “passionate and caring from an early age,” Dyna revealed that her son “believed everyone should have the opportunity to audition for a role, whether it was written for a disabled character or not. He fought hard for that. He wanted to change the world and make it better for everyone.”
Dyna Mitte shares how his son impacted people's lives across the world
The ‘Standing Up for Sunny’ actor’s mother also reflected on his son’s legacy and impact on the world. She claimed to receive over a thousand messages after his death.
“They were telling me what RJ had meant to them. People from other countries called to talk about the impact he had made. He had traveled to Lithuania to speak about disabilities in education, to Russia to speak about disabilities in the workplace and to Washington, DC, to lobby for disability rights,” Dyna added.
