Legendary filmmaker David Lynch’s cause of death aged 78 revealed

David Lynch’s cause of death has been revealed, nearly a month after his death. 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. The filmmaker visionary died after becoming housebound with emphysema following years of chain-smoking, and a death certificate released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has now confirmed COPD was an underlying condition suffered by the auteur.

His health certificate, obtained by TMZ, also notes dehydration as a significant contributing factor to his passing. It’s also claimed that Lynch died at his daughter’s house, where he had been staying during the wildfires in Los Angeles, and that he was cremated on January 22. Last year, Lynch revealed he had been diagnosed with emphysema after decades of smoking, and said that he was homebound.

However, in August, after concerns from fans, he insisted he wouldn’t let the disease result in his retirement. At the time, he wrote on X: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. ‘I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them – but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema.

‘I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. ‘I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. ‘I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern. Love, David.’. Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is caused by damage to the air sacs in the lungs, according to the NHS website.

Following the news of his death, Hollywood stars and fans paid tribute. ‘My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him,’ Naomi Watts wrote on Instagram. ‘His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. ‘The world I’d been trying to break into for 10-plus years, flunking auditions left and right. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease.

‘How did he even “see me” when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?! It wasn’t just his art that impacted me – his wisdom, humour, and love gave me a special sense of belief in myself I’d never accessed before.’. Naomi was ‘in pieces’ after his death, while Hugh Jackman referenced Lynch’s transcendental meditation and The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education And World Peace, which he founded in 2005.

‘[The foundation] has been an inspiration to my life,’ Hugh wrote. ‘I will continue to help carry the torch as best I can.’. Kyle MacLachlan, who played lead star FBI agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, said he owes his ‘entire career, and life really, to his vision’ after Lynch originally cast him in 1984 sci-fi film Dune, based on the Frank Herbert novel. ‘Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met,’ he continued.

‘I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.’. Nicolas Cage, who starred in the 1990 road trip film Wild At Heart which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, described Lynch as ‘one of the greatest artists of this or any time’. ‘He was brave, brilliant, and a maverick with a joyful sense of humour,’ he said in a statement. ‘I never had more fun on a film set than working with David Lynch. He will always be solid gold.’.

And original Twin Peaks star Lara Flynn Boyle, who played Donna Hayward in the early 1990s series, hailed him as ‘the true Willy Wonka of filmmaking’ in a statement. Confirming the news of his death, Lynch’s family wrote on Facebook last month: ‘It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. ‘We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us.

‘But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.”. ‘It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.’. Born in Missoula, Montana, Lynch began a career in painting before switching to making short films during the 1960s. In 1977, he made his first feature-length film, Eraserhead, a black and white, surrealist body horror which follows Henry Spencer as he navigates a strange and gloomy industrial landscape filled with strange characters such as The Lady In The Radiator.