Catherine O'Hara's Cause of Death Revealed

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has officially listed the cause of death of beloved movie star Catherine O'Hara, TMZ reports.

The actress died on January 30, 2026, with sources originally reporting that her passing followed a "brief illness". O'Hara had been absent from public life for several weeks prior to her death, notably missing the 2026 Golden Globes ceremony in January.

O'Hara's last public appearance was at the 2025 Emmy Awards, where she was a double nominee for her roles in The Studio and The Last of Us.

Catherine O'Hara Died From A Pulmonary Embolism

TMZ reports that O'Hara's listed cause of death was a pulmonary emboldism triggered by underlying rectal cancer. She was rushed to hospital in serious condition after a dispatch that she was having trouble breathing.

In a 2021 interview, the actress revealed that she'd been diagnosed with a condition called cardiac inversus, or dextrocardia, later in life. While not life-threatening, this rare condition causes one's internal organs to sit on the opposite side of the body to most people's.

"I love Western medicine, I just don't want to be a part of it," O'Hara joked when asked why she hadn't been diagnosed sooner; she put the late realization down to her hesitance to see a doctor. Her condition likely had nothing to do with her fatal pulmonary embolism, which was triggered by late-stage rectal cancer.

Several celebrities offered heartwarming tributes to O'Hara after her death earlier this year. Her long-time collaborator Den Levy wrote: "It’s hard to imagine a world without [Catherine] in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her," while her Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin said: "I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later." "