Catherine O’Hara died from a blood clot in her lungs, her death certificate reveals.
On Monday (February 8), it was revealed the Home Alone star’s cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The New York Times reports that, according to her death certificate, O’Hara, who died at the age of 71 on January 30 at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., was cremated, and her remains were given to her husband, Bo Welch.
At the time her death was announced 10 days ago, the Canadian comedy legend’s representatives at Creative Artists Agency said the star had been briefly ill prior to her passing. No further information was given at the time.
Previously, her cancer diagnosis was unknown to the public. O’Hara previously shared that she had a rare medical condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus, in which she was born with her heart and organs on the wrong side of her body.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, Bo, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
Catherine O’Hara’s Final Public Appearance
O’Hara made her last known public appearance at the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2025. The Best in Show and Schitt’s Creek actress stepped out on the red carpet alongside her husband, Bo, as her show, The Studio, was nominated for seven awards, not including its 16 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy nominations.
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O’Hara was nominated for Outstanding Supportive Actress in a Comedy Series, which Hannah Einbinder took home for her work on Hacks. During the ceremony, The Studio won four awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
After the awards show, the couple, who wed in April 1992 after meeting on the set of Beetlejuice in 1987, attended the Emmys after-party together.
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