Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death has been revealed after her passing at the age of 71.
News of the Schitt’s Creek star’s death emerged on January 30, 2026, sending Hollywood into mourning.
Now, it has been claimed that the beloved actress died from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs.
According to TMZ, which obtained her death certificate, the underlying cause was listed as rectal cancer.
Catherine’s team had confirmed the news of her death on January 30, saying she had passed after a “brief illness”.
She had been rushed to the hospital early that morning in “serious condition” after the LA Fire Department attended a callout to her home.
Catherine is survived by her husband, production designer Bob Welch, and their two sons, Matthew, 31, and Luke, 29.
Tributes flocked in following the devastating news, with her on-screen son, Macaulay Culkin, leading the messages.
“I thought we had time,” the Home Alone star wrote on Instagram.
“I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Her Schitt’s Creek co-star Eugene Levy also shared his devastation in a statement.
“Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today,” he said.
“I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years.
“From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship. And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.”
What is Catherine O’Hara best known for?
Catherine has played many iconic characters over the years, including as Macaulay Culkin’s mother in the first two Home Alone movies.
She also starred in the original Beetlejuice movie and returned for the 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Catherine also took on notable roles in Waiting for Guffman, After Hours, and Best in Snow.
She was beloved for portraying Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek from 2015 until 2020.
Most recently, Catherine earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series, The Studio.
