BREAKING: Famed filmmaker David Lynch dead at 78

His family said in a Facebook post, "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."

In 2024, Lynch revealed that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after being a lifelong smoker and would be unlikely to leave the house to direct, Variety reported. Sources told Deadline that the Sunset Fire last week in California forced Lynch to relocate from his house and he took a turn for the worse. Lynch told Sight & Sound in 2024 that concerns over Covid and his emphysema would mean future projects would see him directing from his home. In a follow-up post to the interview on social media, Lynch said he would "never retire" despite his physical challenges.

Lynch was known for films such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man, and TV shows such as Twin Peaks. Elephant Man marked Lynch’s first Academy Award nomination for best director. Lynch received an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2000. Lynch won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1990 for Wild at Heart and was nominated for the award three other times. At Cannes, he won Best Director for Mulholland Drive in 2001. Lynch, born on January 20, 1946 in Missoula, Montana, released his first feature film in 1977, Eraserhead.

Lynch told People Magazine in November that he began smoking at the age of 8 and had tried to quit "many, many times." He was diagnosed with emphysema in 2020 but didn’t quit for real until two years later.

"I saw the writing on the wall. and it said, ‘You’re going to die in a week if you don’t stop,’" Lynch said. "I could hardly move without gasping for air. Quitting was my only choice." Lynch has four children, the youngest of whom is 12.