David Lynch Reveals Emphysema Diagnosis: “I Will Never Retire”

Hollywood film director David Lynch disclosed Monday he was living with emphysema, a chronic lung disease, but it has not forced him into retirement. “Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking,” David Lynch wrote on X, formerly Twitter. David Lynch, 78, had originally discussed the diagnosis in an interview published in the British film magazine Sight and Sound, where he said the condition affected his mobility and that he was only able to continue directing remotely, according to multiple media reports.

The director framed emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath, as a “price” for his smoking habit.

“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 the same social media post, David Lynch said he has not smoked cigarettes in over two years and that – barring the emphysema diagnosis – he was “in excellent shape.”

“I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire,” David Lynch wrote. “I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern.”

The beloved cult figure is known for his mystery television series Twin Peaks and 10 feature films, including the Oscar-nominated Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man. His last film-related project was a rebooted third season of Twin Peaks called Twin Peaks: the Return, which premiered on US network Showtime in 2017.

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