Catherine O'Hara's Cause of Death Revealed: Iconic Actress Died from Rare Blood Clot in Lungs
Actress Catherine O'Hara, best known for her roles in "Schitt's Creek" and iconic films like "Beetlejuice," has been revealed to have died from a pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the lungs - which was caused by an underlying rectal cancer. The 71-year-old actress passed away on January 30 after suffering from a brief illness.
According to TMZ, O'Hara's death certificate confirmed that she had opted for cremation and her remains were given to her husband, Bo Welch, with whom she married in 1992. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to her home at 4:48 am local time on the day of her death and transported her to the hospital in "serious" condition.
O'Hara, who suffered from a rare condition called situs inversus where the internal organs are mirrored in abnormal anatomy, had been open about her health struggles. This condition can make it difficult to diagnose future complications due to symptoms appearing differently in those with mirrored organs.
Born in Toronto, Canada, O'Hara began her career in 1974 after high school graduation and went on to star in numerous films and TV shows including "Home Alone," "Home Alone 2," and the Emmy-nominated series "Schitt's Creek." Her most recent projects included starring alongside Pedro Pascal in HBO's "The Last of Us" and a role with Seth Rogen in "The Studio."
O'Hara was last publicly seen at the 2025 Angel Awards in Los Angeles, where she attended with her husband. The actress is survived by her husband, two sons, Matthew and Luke, as well as siblings Michael O'Hara, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O'Hara, Tom O'Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
O'Hara's death marks the end of a prolific career in both film and television.
Actress Catherine O'Hara, best known for her roles in "Schitt's Creek" and iconic films like "Beetlejuice," has been revealed to have died from a pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the lungs - which was caused by an underlying rectal cancer. The 71-year-old actress passed away on January 30 after suffering from a brief illness.
According to TMZ, O'Hara's death certificate confirmed that she had opted for cremation and her remains were given to her husband, Bo Welch, with whom she married in 1992. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to her home at 4:48 am local time on the day of her death and transported her to the hospital in "serious" condition.
O'Hara, who suffered from a rare condition called situs inversus where the internal organs are mirrored in abnormal anatomy, had been open about her health struggles. This condition can make it difficult to diagnose future complications due to symptoms appearing differently in those with mirrored organs.
Born in Toronto, Canada, O'Hara began her career in 1974 after high school graduation and went on to star in numerous films and TV shows including "Home Alone," "Home Alone 2," and the Emmy-nominated series "Schitt's Creek." Her most recent projects included starring alongside Pedro Pascal in HBO's "The Last of Us" and a role with Seth Rogen in "The Studio."
O'Hara was last publicly seen at the 2025 Angel Awards in Los Angeles, where she attended with her husband. The actress is survived by her husband, two sons, Matthew and Luke, as well as siblings Michael O'Hara, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O'Hara, Tom O'Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
O'Hara's death marks the end of a prolific career in both film and television.
she was just 71, feels like yesterday I'm watching her on Schitt's Creek 
. always thought she had that situs inversus thing, glad she was open about it, maybe helped doc's diagnose her rectal cancer sooner 
. cremation and all that... feel bad for Bo Welch, been married since '92 
. I mean, Catherine O'Hara was still bringing the funny and the drama on screen, what more could you ask for? It's crazy how these rare blood clots can pop up out of nowhere, especially with that situs inversus thing going on - like her body is already playing a game of "organ roulette" 
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. Rest in peace, Catherine 
Catherine O'Hara was such an amazing actress and her passing is like a huge loss for all us fans 
I mean we already knew she had health issues due to her situs inversus condition, but it's sad that the underlying rectal cancer wasn't diagnosed sooner 
My hubby has been dealing with some health stuff too so I feel for her family, you know? 
Bo Welch is a lucky guy to have her as his wife, she was an incredible person and talent 
I remember watching Schitt's Creek with my sis and we both just fell in love with the characters 
i'm literally shook to hear that catherine o'hara passed away 
i mean have u seen that last ep of schitt's creek tho?? it's like u can feel her presence still... anyway, r.i.p catherine o'hara may ur spirit be at peace 
i'm so sorry to hear about her passing tho, no one deserves to go too soon 
it's crazy that she had a rare condition like situs inversus which made it hard for docs to diagnose future issues, hope she got some awesome care before it was too late 
anyhoo, Catherine O'Hara will always be remembered as the talented actress who brought so much joy & laughter to our screens 
anyway i guess we should be glad she got to share her life with bo welch for all these years 
rest in peace catheen you will be deeply missed 
just watched an interview with Bo Welch talking about how he knew something was wrong with Catherine... said she had been having trouble sleeping & getting winded after being active - weird considering she was always so full of energy 
it's crazy how rare blood clots can be though and how they can sneak up on people especially with situs inversus 
i'm gonna miss her too...
The passing of Catherine O'Hara is a significant loss for the entertainment industry and her devoted fanbase 
. Her unique journey, marked by a rare condition called situs inversus, highlights the complexities of human anatomy and raises awareness for such conditions 
. It's not surprising that she struggled with health issues, considering she had situs inversus - that condition is no joke 
. I feel bad for her husband and kids, losing their mum like this. She may be gone, but her legacy lives on through all the amazing roles she played 
. RIP Catherine O'Hara, you'll be deeply missed 
I'm trying to pay my respects to Catherine O'Hara, but it's hard when I have to navigate all these ads and weird layout changes. 
And don't even get me started on the news feed - it's always pushing stuff that doesn't interest me to the top of my screen.
Like what's similar about her passing from a pulmonary embolism? Nothing, that's what.
. I mean, who doesn't love watching people die from rare blood clots? It's not like we can control our health or anything... And it's just great how she went from having some weird internal organ thing to passing away from a cancer diagnosis 
. anyway, it's really tragic that she had this rare blood clot thingy because of some underlying cancer... i feel bad for her family and friends who have to go through this 