David Lynch’s Cause of Death Revealed

Legendary Hollywood director David Lynch’s cause of death has been revealed nearly a month after he died at the age of 78.

The visionary filmmaker and director behind "Mulholland Drive," "Twin Peaks" and more classics, who in 2020 was diagnosed with emphysema, passed away on January 16.

On Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health published David Lynch’s death certificate, which lists his immediate cause of death as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Dehydration is also listed as a significant contributor to his death.

Lynch’s death was announced by his family in a Facebook post, which read: “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.’”

In the days before his death, the Oscar-nominated auteur had reportedly been evacuated from his L.A. home due to the city’s devastating wildfires.

According to Deadline, sources said that the move had led to a decline in his health.

In an interview with Sight & Sound magazine last year, Lynch revealed he had been diagnosed with emphysema due to smoking throughout his life, and said he could not “go out” because of the risk of catching coronavirus.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” he said, admitting that he could only walk a short distance before he was “out of oxygen.”

Lynch, who frequently collaborated with Hollywood luminaries such as Laura Dern, Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Naomi Watts, Jack Nance and Harry Dean Stanton, left behind an iconic legacy.

He earned critical acclaim and nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama "The Elephant Man" (1980), the mystery thriller "Blue Velvet" (1986), and the psychological drama "Mulholland Drive" (2001).

Lynch is survived by his four children, Boxing Helena director Jennifer Lynch, Austin Jack Lynch, Riley Lynch, and Lula Lynch.