The world lost a host of icons in 2025, from nonagenarians with decades of great work behind them to younger stars whose lives were cut tragically short. Read on to remember 23 cultural figures who left their marks on the world of film, TV, music, fashion, sports, and, in one case, science—and find out where you can read more about each of them in the pages of Vanity Fair. Though their bright lights have dimmed, they won’t be forgotten.
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visionary behind Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks died of complications from emphysema at the age of 78, Lynch made a statement announcing his battle with the condition: “I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much,” he wrote, “and I do love tobacco—the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them.” He concluded, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.””,”contentType”:”photo”,”credit”:”Chris Weeks/WireImage.”,”segmentedSources”:{“sm”:[{“height”:416,”width”:320,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_320,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:831,”width”:640,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_640,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”md”:[{“height”:831,”width”:640,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_640,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:1662,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_1280,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”lg”:[{“height”:1330,”width”:1024,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_1024,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:2660,”width”:2048,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_2048,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”xl”:[{“height”:1662,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_1280,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”xxl”:[{“height”:1662,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3175f4432f3ca2d87/master/w_1280,c_limit/david-lynch-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}]}}}” data-testid=”GallerySlideWrapper”>
Chris Weeks/WireImage.
January 15: David Lynch
A year before the visionary behind Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks died of complications from emphysema at the age of 78, Lynch made a statement announcing his battle with the condition: “I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much,” he wrote, “and I do love tobacco—the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them.” He concluded, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”
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Vanity Fair that she was sick of talking about that era. “It would be great if people could see me as I see myself,” she said, “which is as a working musician with an incredible arc of work.””,”contentType”:”photo”,”credit”:”David Redfern/Redferns.”,”segmentedSources”:{“sm”:[{“height”:316,”width”:320,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_320,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:631,”width”:640,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_640,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”md”:[{“height”:631,”width”:640,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_640,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:1263,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_1280,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”lg”:[{“height”:1010,”width”:1024,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_1024,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”},{“height”:2020,”width”:2048,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_2048,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”xl”:[{“height”:1263,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_1280,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}],”xxl”:[{“height”:1263,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/693745a3fc84ed492efc0cc5/master/w_1280,c_limit/Marianne-Faithfull-in-memoriam-2025.jpg”}]}}}” data-testid=”GallerySlideWrapper”>
David Redfern/Redferns.
January 30: Marianne Faithfull
The singer synonymous with 1960s swinging London died at 78—years after telling Vanity Fair that she was sick of talking about that era. “It would be great if people could see me as I see myself,” she said, “which is as a working musician with an incredible arc of work.”
