Visionary director died from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says

Lynch's cause of death comes three weeks after the family of the filmmaker, who was known for his distinctive style described as “Lynchian,” announced his death in a social me

The celebrated filmmaker, who was behind the likes of Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man and beloved TV show Twin Peaks, died aged 78, on January 15. His cause of death has now been confirmed as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

David Lynch died on Jan. 15, 2025 from complications of emphysema, a chronic lung disease, at the age of 78. He was known primarily for his direction of surreal and dreamlike movies, such as “Eraserhead,” “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” “Lost Highway,” “Mulholland Drive” and his popular TV show: “Twin Peaks.”

After David Lynch’s death last month, as I revisited his work, one thing became clear to me: The Return (made in collaboration with Mark Frost, Twin Peaks ’ co-creator) was not only his final major project but also a culmination of his style,

T hroughout his career, David Lynch often crossed paths with Barry Gifford. It was from Gifford’s novel of the same name that Lynch adapted Wild At Heart. Later, they collaborat