Big Little Lies director Jean-Marc Vallée’s cause of death revealed

TV and film director died on Christmas Day

Jean-Marc Vallée’s cause of death has been revealed in a statement from his family.

The Big Little Lies and Dallas Buyers Club director died suddenly on Christmas Day (25 December) in Quebec.

On Wednesday (13 April), Deadline reported that the death had been attributed to “a fatal cardiac arrhythmia secondary to severe coronary atherosclerosis” after a final coroner’s report.

This follows an initial report on 31 December which was unable to put Vallée’s death to an exact cause.

However, it was said at the time that the director had died of natural causes, with the statement reading: “Mr Vallée’s death was not caused by the intervention of another party, a voluntary act, or a known disease.”

Vallée’s sons, Alex and Émile, expressed their gratitude for the condolences they’ve received in the time since his death.

“Testimonials of friendship, esteem and respect for our father and for his work are still coming from around the world,” they said.

The filmmaker died suddenly in his cabin outside Quebec City, his representative said (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

The message continued: “We are sincerely grateful and we hope that his creativity will continue to serve as inspiration and guidance to the people in this industry that he was so passionate about.”

At the time of the director’s death, many of his previous collaborators posted tributes and memorial messages online.

Reese Witherspoon, who worked with him on Big Little Lies, said that her heart was “broken” by his loss.

Matthew McConaughey, who won an Academy Award for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, remembered Vallée as someone with a “gentle hand and heart” who “didn’t romanticise life as much as he saw life romantic”.

He wrote: “From the struggle to the pain to the wink and the whisper, love stories were everywhere in his eyes.”