David Lynch’s cause of death has been confirmed as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The visionary Twin Peaks filmmaker visionary died aged 78 after becoming housebound with emphysema following years of chain-smoking.

His death certificate, released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday, confirmed Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was an underlying condition suffered by the auteur.

His death was announced on social media by his family the following day.

Also according to his death certificate, Lynch was cremated, and his remains were buried on 22 January at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reported the filmmaker’s health deteriorated rapidly after he was displaced from his home on Sunset Boulevard due to the L.A. wildfires, though details of the evacuation remain private.

David Lynch’s cause of death has been confirmed as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; seen in 2017

The air quality during the fires may have exacerbated David’s condition, as emphysema – also referred to as COPD – damages the air sacs in the lungs and can be worsened by environmental factors such as pollution, workplace irritants and smoking.

COPD causes breathing difficulties, frequent chest infections, coughing and wheezing.

Read More Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet director David Lynch is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at 78

In his final public statements, he confirmed he required oxygen for basic activities and that walking had become ‘strenuous.’

He also explained that due to concerns about Covid further compromising his health, he had decided to stop directing on set and planned on working remotely on any future projects.

In an interview with Sight & Sound just five months ahead of his pᴀssing, Lynch said that he got emphysema ‘for smoking so long.’

Lynch said: ‘I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.’

The director of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks got real as he said his love of cigarettes put him in this position.

Lynch said: ‘Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me.

The visionary Twin Peaks filmmaker visionary died aged 78 after becoming housebound with emphysema following years of chain-smoking (pictured in 2001)

His death certificate, released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday, confirmed Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was an underlying condition suffered by the auteur (seen in 2002)

‘It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things. 

‘Nothing like it in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to quit.’ 

Though his disease has prevented him from working on projects in person, he is not completely ruling out the possibility of directing in the future.

He said: ‘I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it.’

Lynch was referencing his animated project – called Snootworld – which was pitched and ultimately pᴀssed on by Netflix. 

In November, he told People that he required supplemental oxygen for most activities and could ‘hardly walk across a room.’ 

‘It’s like you’re walking around with a plastic bag around your head,’ he said of his battle with emphysema. 

His death was announced on social media by his family the following day (seen in 1990)

Over his career, he was awarded with numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019; seen in 2019

Despite not having any regrets, Lynch hopes his devastating health update will encourage other smokers to quit.

He also told the outlet: ‘Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you.’

Lynch admitted there had been a ‘big price to pay’ for his lifelong habit but said he didn’t regret it.

By the time he gave up cigarettes the father-of-four could ‘hardly move without gasping for air.’

In an August interview with Sight & Sound, Lynch said that he got the disease ‘for smoking so long’ (seen in 1984)

Some of Lynch’s other signature projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (seen above in 2001), and Inland Empire (2006)

‘Quitting was my only choice,’ he said. 

His most recent major project before his health issues was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017.

The original series had ran from 1990 to 1991 as it followed the investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) as it took place in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.  

When it first aired in the early 1990s the series had developed a cult following after its run on ABC which later resulted in the 1992 prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk.

His most recent major project before his health issues was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017 (pictured in 2001)

Previously, Lynch revealed he had emphysema after ‘many years of smoking’ on X

Over two decades Lynch’s signature franchise made a comeback with Twin Peaks: The Return.

Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny – who starred in the original – returned for the revival.

Other stars were also added into the mix including Laura Dern, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Szohr, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain, and Trent Reznor.

Lynch’s other signature projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).