David Lynch’s cause of death has been confirmed weeks after the “Twin Peaks” mastermind died at age 78.
The “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” director died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles on Jan. 16, according to a death certificate released Friday by the L.A. County Department of Public Health and obtained by TMZ.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was identified as an underlying condition, while dehydration was also listed as a significant contributing factor.
The four-time Oscar nominee died at his daughter’s home in Los Angeles, where he was staying amid the height of the deadly wildfires ravaging Southern California, family sources told TMZ. He died just four days before he would have celebrated his 79th birthday.
Lynch revealed last year that he’d been diagnosed with emphysema and needed to rely on supplemental oxygen after having been a smoker since the age of 8.
“I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco,” Lynch wrote on social media in August. “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.”
Emphysema is among the group of lung diseases known as COPD, for which smoking is the primary cause. The World Health Organization identifies COPD as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.
Lynch said last year that aside from the condition, he was “in excellent shape.”
“I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire,” he tweeted. “I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern.”
The visionary filmmaker is survived by four children, ranging in age from 12 to 56. His shared his youngest child with his ex-wife, “Inland Empire” actress Emily Stofle. The couple ended their 14-year marriage in December 2023.