Catherine O'Hara's cause of death, private cancer battle REVEALED in medical examiner's report

Emmy-winning actress Catherine O'Hara, who starred in the hit comedy series 'Schitt's Creek' and the classic 'Home Alone' films, passed away on January 30 at the age of 71.

Her manager Marc Gurvitz's office confirmed the actress's death, without revealing any details. Her reps told news portals that the star died “following a brief illness,” while not revealing the official cause of death. Now, almost two weeks later, the actress' cause of death has been confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.


O'Hara died due to pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause, TMZ reported, while citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office. According to her death certificate, the comedian died of a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs.

The star made no secret about her rare heart condition called cardiac inversus, where a person's heart and other internal organs are located on the opposite side of where most people's organs are. However, her battle with cancer was kept private.

O’Hara was also noticeably absent from the 2026 Golden Globes held in the first week of January, where she was nominated for her supporting role alongside Seth Rogen in 'The Studio'. She made her last public appearance at the 2025 Emmy Awards in September, where she was a double nominee for 'The Studio' and 'The Last of Us', the ninth and tenth of her career.

The death certificate also reveals that O'Hara was cremated.

News of O’Hara’s death sent Hollywood into mourning with fellow actors, former co-stars, friends and family taking to social media to pay tribute. Her 'Home Alone' son Macaulay Culkin and longtime collaborator Eugene Levy took to their handles to mourn her loss.

Other stars who paid tribute included her TV daughter Annie Murphy, Seth Rogen, Michael Keaton, Justin Theroux, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese, took to their handles to pay tribute and honour her legacy.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”