In his portrayal as Gustavo’s laundry manager on “Breaking Bad,” the late Mike Batayeh became a household name. He passed away on June 1 at the age of 52.
It was initially reported that Batayeh had a heart attack in his sleep at his Michigan home, and his family has verified the news.
According to his sister Diane, the actor’s death was unexpected because he had no history of cardiac problems.
On Monday, the Medical Examiner’s office in Washtenaw County verified to The New York Post that the Batayeh succumbed to “asphyxia hanging.”
Before taking his own life on June 1, Batayeh tweeted many times about suicide, once tweeting that as a Catholic, he learned that Jesus struggled with suicidal thoughts.
A year later, the celebrity wrote another disturbing piece about suicide.
On April 17th, 2016, Batayeh asked his audience if they were ever so bored they thought of killing themselves.
As of Monday, Batayeh’s manager, Steve Owens, maintained that the actor “died of a heart attack in his sleep.”
A report from the Pittsfield Township Police Department acquired by The Post, however, said that authorities were dispatched to his one-bedroom, third-floor apartment due to a possible suicide.
The report claims that a male relative knew of Batayeh’s mental health issues and that Batayeh had recently spent time with the relative late last month “to distract himself.” Approximately ten years ago, Batayeh’s family told authorities he had tried suicide.
The report also included another witness characterized as Batayeh’s “therapist,” who stated that the actor had been his client “off and on for the past seven years” and became worried when Batayeh failed to attend his appointment on the morning of June 1.
Batayeh had no spouse and no kids.
He is survived by five sisters and several nieces and nephews.
