The Jinx Season 2: Is Robert Durst related to Fred Durst?

Following the release of The Jinx Season 2 Episode 1, a question has been raised: is Robert “Bob” Durst related to Fred Durst?

Season 1 of The Jinx ended with the most shocking confession in true crime history, one that led to Durst’s incarceration — but this was far from the end of the story. In the following eight years, Andrew Jarecki and his crew continued their investigation into the New York real estate heir, which is the basis for Season 2, aka: The Jinx – Part Two. 

Episode 1, which aired last night (April 21), details exactly what happened during and after the first chapter arrived in 2015, including Robert on the run, the initial interrogation, and the family of Kathleen “Kathie” McCormack’s reaction to his hot mic incident in the finale. 

Amid these new revelations, there’s been speculation about Robert’s family and whether he’s related to a number of celebrities, including Fred Durst and Kirsten Dunst. 

Is Robert Durst related to Fred Durst?

Even though they share the same surname, Robert “Bob” Durst isn’t related to Fred Durst, the frontman of nu-metal band Limp Bizkit. 

In 2015, there was some confusion after the Associated Press mistakenly mixed up the two in a report about weapons charges against Robert. It said: “A Louisiana State Police trooper says millionaire Robert Durst has been booked on weapons charges in that state – on top of a first-degree murder charge lodged by Los Angeles authorities. 

“Trooper Melissa Matey told the Associated Press that an arrest warrant was issued for the former Limp Bizkit frontman and he was rebooked in the Orleans Parish Jail on Monday under two new charges.”

The outlet later corrected the article, writing, “In the second item of the California 10th NewsMinute sent March 16 to users of the state broadcast wire, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Robert Durst is a member of a band. He is a real estate heir; Fred Durst is the former frontman of Limp Bizkit.”

After the mishap took off on social media, Fred responded on Instagram with a photo of him wearing a “NOT ROBERT” hoodie. It should be noted that Fred isn’t Robert’s son either, nor are the pair related in any way. 

Is Robert Durst still alive?

No, Robert “Bob” Durst died on January 10, 2022 at age 78. His death was ruled as being due to “natural causes,” having suffered a number of health issues because of his old age. 

At the time of his death, Robert was being treated at the San Joaquin General Hospital in California while in police custody, having been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his friend, Susan Burman. 

The millionaire died before he could go on trial for the murder of his wife Kathie, who disappeared in 1982. Her remains have never been found but she was declared legally dead in 2017. 

Once again, Robert’s identity was mixed up with Fred’s at the time of his death. According to Metal Sucks, Google mistakenly presented the Limp Bizkit frontman as Robert’s son. Again, this was soon corrected to show that the pair aren’t related, and Robert doesn’t have any children. 

Is Robert Durst related to Kirsten Dunst?

No, Robert “Bob” Durst isn’t related to the Hollywood actress Kirsten Dunst. The reason for the confusion is most likely due to the fact that Kirsten played a character inspired by Robert’s wife Kathie in a movie. 

The 2011 film All Good Things is directed by The Jinx creator Andrew Jarecki, which is what led Robert to getting in touch with the filmmaker in the first place. 

The movie is inspired by the case of Robert and Kathie, with Ryan Gosling playing the son of a powerful real estate tycoon and Kirsten portraying his wife. Other than this connection, Kirsten isn’t related to Robert in any way.

Robert Durst’s real family explained

In real life, Robert was the son of the late New York real estate boss Seymour Durst, who took over the family business, The Durst Organization, in the 1970s following the death of his father, Joseph Durst.

The company is now run by Robert’s younger brother, Douglas Durst, which created an even bigger rift between the two.

In 2021, Douglas testified at Robert’s murder trial, which resulted in a life in prison without parole sentence for the 2000 killing of Susan. When asked in court how his brother felt about him, Douglas replied, “He’d like to murder me.”

He was also probed about Robert’s reaction to Kathie’s 1982 disappearance, to which he said, “His tone was very neutral. There was no great anxiety in his tone. It seemed a little strange.” 

The Jinx Season 2 Episode 1 is streaming on Max now, while new episodes drop Sundays at 7pm PT/10pm ET on HBO and Max until the finale on May 26. For more true crime, check out the new documentaries coming out this month, as well as the TV shows to add to your watchlist.