Renowned filmmaker, actor, musician, and painter David Lynch died at his daughter’s home in Los Angeles, California, on January 16, 2025, four days before his 79th birthday. At the time, the cause of death was given as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Now, more than a year later, TMZ obtained court documents that Lynch left behind his estate to his four children through a trust. They will receive tuition gifts as well as medical expenses as part of the director’s will.
His four children and survivors are: Jennifer Lynch, 57, Austin Jack Lynch, 43, Riley Sweeney Lynch, 34, and Lula Boginia Lynch, 13.
According to the latest reports, David Lynch not only left behind his estate to his kids but also gifts for his lifelong friends, including his second wife, Mary Fisk, brother John, and sister Martha – all of whom received $25,000 each. Meanwhile, his longtime collaborator Alfredo Ponce got a generous sum worth $100,000.
According to David Lynch’s trustee Sabrina Sutherland, he first drafted his will in 1994, while the final changes were made in May 2023. Part of his assets include two residences in Los Angeles worth $3.8 million, his Twin Peaks productions membership, and his copyrights and stocks in A2K.
All about David Lynch’s four children
The first time David Lynch became a father was when he and his first wife, Peggy Reavey, welcomed their daughter Jennifer Lynch in Philadelphia in 1968. She is now a filmmaker and author, best known for the award-winning movies Boxing Helena (1993), Surveillance (2008), and Chained (2012).
Her television credits include episodes of American Horror Story, Teen Wolf, Psych, The Walking Dead, Elementary, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jennifer has also written the New York Times best-selling novel, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, inspired by her dad’s hit TV series, Twin Peaks.
Speaking with PEOPLE in 1990, David Lynch’s eldest child noted:
“He was not your normal dad, but he’s been the best dad he could be, and we’ve had a blast.”
Jennifer Lynch has a daughter, Sydney, whom she shares with her ex, Andrew J. Peterson.
David Lynch’s eldest son, Austin Jack Lynch, was born in Los Angeles in September 1982. His mother is Mary Fisk. Austin has followed in the footsteps of his father and stepsister and created the 2011 docuseries, Interview Project, based on his father’s life, and the 2017 narrative film, Gray House.
David Lynch told the Guardian in June 2018 that he “really liked” his son’s movie. That same month, he also told Vulture that fatherhood is a “tricky business.”
“I love all my children and we get along great, but in the early years, before you can have a relationship of talking to them, it’s tough. The work is the main thing, and I know I’ve caused suffering because of that. But at the same time, I have huge love for the kids,” David noted.
His son, Austin, appeared in guest roles on two of his most prominent projects, Inland Empire and Twin Peaks. Last year, he directed the film City Child.
David Lynch welcomed his younger son, Riley Sweeney Lynch, in 1992, with his then-girlfriend Mary Sweeney. She was his longtime editor and also co-wrote and co-produced David’s 1999 movie, The Straight Story. The couple later got married for a year in 2006, before going their separate ways.
Riley began his career as an actor-editor and collaborated with his dad on Inland Empire and Twin Peaks. He also created his own comedy short, Hardcore Halbert, in 2021, and has been working on his big-screen debut, Black Earth, for a few years now. It is reportedly a heavy-metal romance.
Today, Riley is a musician who has worked alongside his dad’s music supervisors, Dean Hurley and Alex Zhang Hungtai, on an episode of Twin Peaks: The Return.
Speaking about the collaboration with Hero Magazine in July 2017, David Lynch’s son noted:
“I told my dad that if he liked a song that Dean and Alex and I came up with, then he had to put it in there, and if he didn’t like it, then we were out.”
Riley further explained that working with his father was “fun” as he inspired people to do their “best work” and created a good and positive atmosphere for everyone on set, while continuing to deliver his best, hard work.
In May 2018, he told PAPER Magazine that having both parents in show business had its own perks and disadvantages, but his ideas were his “own,” and he hopes that his audience “start to get that” after a few projects.
David Lynch’s youngest child, Lula Boginia Lynch, was born in August 2012 to his estranged fourth wife and actress, Emily Stofle. Lula’s name was a homage to Laura Dern’s character Lula Fortune from his 1990 movie, Wild Heart.
Lula, who is now a teenager, maintains a private life. However, she walked the red carpet with her parents at the 12th Rome Film Festival in November 2017. When Stofle filed for divorce in 2023 after fourteen years of marriage, she asked for sole legal and physical custody of their daughter.
However, David Lynch passed away before the divorce was finalized. In the wake of his demise, his family released a statement via Facebook. The message read:
“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.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
The post was accompanied by an image of Lynch playing guitar.
Following his funeral, his children shared a tribute via X, calling David their “guiding light.” They also invited the late filmmaker’s fans for a “worldwide group meditation” on his posthumous birthday and asked them to join in honoring his legacy, celebrating his life, spreading peace and love, and meditating, reflecting, and sending positivity into the universe.
Edited by Pallavi K