David Lynch, 'Twin Peaks' Creator and Revered Filmmaker, Dead at 78
Revered filmmaker David Lynch died at the age of 78 on Thursday, January 16.
Lynch was a critically acclaimed creator whose first film, Eraserhead, which he wrote and directed, eventually became a cult classic and catapulted him to stardom in 1977. He went on to direct several films, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive, all of which were nominated for Oscars.
He went on to bring the genre-bending "Twin Peaks" to ABC in 1990. It ran for two seasons and was revived in 2017 to the delight of fans.
The admired director revealed he was diagnosed with emphysema in August 2024.
"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," he wrote in an X post at the time.
Lynch's family confirmed his death in a Facebook post on his official page.
"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," the statement read. "It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way."
