It was reported earlier today that legendary filmmaker David Lynch has been diagnosed with emphysema, leaving him homebound and likely unable to continue directing projects in person. This has led many Lynch fans to speculate on the future of his career and his current health status, but Lynch himself has taken to social media tonight to clear the air a little bit.
For starters, he notes, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”
“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,” Lynch writes in his full statement today.
He continues. “I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern. Love, David.”
David Lynch’s emphysema diagnosis originally came out of a new interview with Sight & Sound, wherein Lynch notes that remote directing from home is an option going forward.
“I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” he told the magazine in its September issue. “I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”
Speaking specifically about his filmmaking future, he tells Sight & Sound: “I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it.”
On the subject of David Lynch’s career, he actually just released the new album Cellophane Memories last week, his latest collaboration with singer and actress Chrystabell.