Catherine O'Hara's cause of death has been confirmed days after her passing at age 71. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office report, obtained by TMZ, lists the immediate cause as pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause.
O'Hara, best known for her roles in Home Alone and Schitt's Creek, died on January 30. Her family had previously stated she suffered from a 'brief illness'. An ambulance was called to her Brentwood home just before 5am on the morning of her death, and she was reported to be in a 'serious condition'.
The actress had been diagnosed with dextrocardia with situs inversus earlier in life, a condition where the heart is located on the right side of the chest. Her last public appearance was at the Angel Awards in Santa Monica on October 16, 2025, where a guest described her as 'slender' but in 'great spirits'.
O'Hara's career spanned decades, from her start at Second City Theater in Toronto to iconic roles in Beetlejuice and Schitt's Creek. She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their two sons.
