Bray Wyatt’s dad opens up on his son’s tragic death after the WWE star passed away in his sleep due to heart issues at age 36: ‘We miss him every day… it’s so hard to wake up out of this nightmare’

Nearly four months after the death of WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, his father Mike Rotunda spoke out about the grief their family has been dealing with since his death in August.

The 65-year-old Rotunda, whose wrestling career spanned decades, shared how life has been a “nightmare” since Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) died at the age of 36.

“It's been very difficult, we miss him every day,” Rotunda shared on the website Wrasslin Talk to Mayor McCall podcast.

“(My kids) came with me and stayed on the road wherever I was struggling and it's so hard to wake up from this nightmare and he's still not here.”

Wyatt died of a heart attack while sleeping at his residence in Claremont, Florida. WWE chief Triple H announced his death after receiving a call from Rotunda.

Rotunda explained that Wyatt was set to marry his partner Jojo before his death, making the grieving period even more difficult. He also talked about how, unlike his WWE persona in the ring, Wyatt was a very happy and joyful person.

“He was a happy guy,” Rotunda added. “He loved to laugh, he was loud, always laughing and he lit up a room. He lit up the wrestling world.

“People come up to me and have a story with Windham and say, 'He took the time to sit there and talk to me for 10 to 15 minutes while he had to sign autographs.' So many people come out and support him by wearing Windham's stuff, and they have a story about him. He was that kind of person.'

Rotunda's professional wrestling career lasted from 1981 to 2004, with notable stints in the WWF and WCW under his real name and the alias Irwin R. Schyster (IRS). His sons Windham and Taylor (known by the ring name Bo Dallas) inevitably became involved in the company.

Rotunda expressed his gratitude to the WWE for signing Wyatt to a Legends contract, allowing him and his siblings to make money from merchandise sales.

After spending time on the WWE's NXT program under the name 'Husky Harris', the WWE debuted the Bray Wyatt character in 2012. Wyatt immediately became a fan favorite and emerged as a regular main event act in 2015.

Despite playing the heel, Wyatt's villainous cult leader character was beloved by fans who played a big part in the gimmick. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded Wyatt the Best Gimmick award in 2013 and 2019. He was also named WWE's Male Wrestler of the Year in 2019.

As for his in-ring work, Wyatt held the WWE Championship, Universal Championship, and both Raw and Smackdown Tag Team Championships before his sudden and tragic death.