RJ, who sadly died at the age of 34 on Monday, once claimed that he ended up paying more in taxes than he’d earned from Breaking Bad due to having a “bad” financial manager.
RJ Mitte once claimed that he ended up paying more in taxes than he had earned from Breaking Bad, alleging that a financial manager left him in debt for a decade. RJ, known to millions of Breaking Bad fans for playing Walt ‘Flynn’ Jr, tragically died at the age of 34 on Monday (October 12). His publicist confirmed that the young actor had taken his own life.
Speaking to the BBC, his representative told the BBC: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte.”
RJ had cerebral palsy and was a strong advocate for performers with disabilities. Bryan Cranston, who played his on-screen father, Walter White, in the drama, said RJ didn’t allow his cerebral palsy to “be an excuse for anything”.
As a beloved character on what is widely viewed to be one of the greatest TV series of all time, many would believe that he’d benefited greatly from the Netflix show’s success.
In November 2024, though, RJ admitted he had “paid more in taxes than I got from Breaking Bad”. The TV star claimed some of his financial misfortune was to do with having a “bad” financial manager, whom he alleges was targeting people with disabilities and the elderly.
Asked to clarify whether the show made him a millionaire, RJ told The Iced Coffee Hour podcast: “I’ve paid more in taxes than I got from Breaking Bad. It’s just the name of the game with it. Like, you know, young kid.”
He continued: “I didn’t really see a lot of like…I had a team, a big team at one point, and I was travelling the world doing stuff and, like, so mostly my team. Like, I was paying to keep my career going.
“Like, I was paying to keep pushing forward and to keep doing that, and everything went back into the business.”
He went on to say that he “got royally hammered” in the last four years of his highest earning series.
At first, RJ and his family oversaw the actor’s finances, but, while under pressure to retain the services of a “proper accountant”, he eventually sought a manager, but the star claims he subsequently “got eaten”.
He was asked to clarify whether he meant that the individual had invested his money poorly, or whether they’d siphoned off funds. RJ said the person was “still out there” so he couldn’t “go into details”, but did share an overview of their alleged actions.
“I can’t go into details because this person – I don’t know – is still out there, but I know she got 14 other actors. I was like one of this big group that she was targeting,” he continued:
“Like, primarily people with disabilities, elderly, like older actors in the industry and worked at the sheriff’s department where she had her office at.”
Probed on how she’d lost his money, RJ added: “No, she didn’t lose it. She was siphoning funds. Like, literally, she would…I would write a cheque and, like, to go pay my taxes.
“And instead of her using it to pay my taxes, she would send me a fake filing of taxes and take that money. And so at the end of the day, though, it’s my negligence. So, regardless with that, the IRS doesn’t really care about you.
“They only care that you make sure that you are paying it. And anyone else that handles that is your fault because you did not do your due diligence.”
Asked whether she was in prison, RJ said that she was still “around” and claimed the practice was “very common”. He added: “It only took me 10 years to pay it off. It was a rough thing, but, like, you know, it was a lesson learned.”
He explained that he’d always been “savvy” with his finances, having served as a treasurer for eight years. RJ saw his misfortune as both a “blessing and a curse”, adding that it provided knowledge “like no one had.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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