‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole’: Do we know David Lynch’s cause of death?

Beloved film and TV director David Lynch has died at the age of 78, according to a Facebook post from Lynch’s family. Lynch’s family did not specify a cause of death, but in an X post last year, the Twin Peaks creator confirmed he had emphysema after a lifetime of smoking.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the ing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” said the Lynch family statement announcing the director’s death. “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.”

Lynch was housebound, he said

Not long after Lynch shared the news he had emphysema, he told Sight and Sound magazine he could no longer leave the house or direct movies or TV shows in person anymore for fear he might catch COVID, which could be especially deadly in his condition. Lynch was diagnosed with emphysema in 2020, and he later said it took him two years to quit smoking.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. … And now, because of COVID, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” Lynch said, adding he can only walk a short distance before he runs out of oxygen.

“I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco,” Lynch said in part in his post sharing the emphysema news. “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 added.

At that time, though, Lynch said as far as his health was concerned, other than the emphysema, he was in relatively good condition.

Meanwhile, only about a week before he died, Lynch was forced, along with tens of thousands of Angelenos, to evacuate his home amid the wildfires.

Lynch’s influence was unmatched

As well as Twin Peaks, the Academy Award-nominated director is known for Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive, all of which influenced the look and feel of modern cinema in their noirish and surreal aesthetics. Lynch was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2020. He also received eight Primetime Emmy for Twin Peaks. Lynch was born in Missoula, MT, in 1946 and was married four times in his life. His last marriage to Emily Lynch ended last year. Emily and David had one daughter together.

As news of Lynch’s death spread, the film community shared their memories and condolences. “No one saw the world like David Lynch. The world lost a master of cinema today. RIP,” director Joe Russo wrote on X. “David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish),” comedian Patton Oswalt added, referring to the nightmare scenes Lynch often created.