The actress, who died on Jan. 30, previously shared that her heart and organs were on the wrong side of her body, a rare condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus.

Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death revealed

The actress, who died on Jan. 30, previously shared that her heart and organs were on the wrong side of her body, a rare condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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on February 9, 2026 3:09 p.m. ET

Catherine O'Hara attends 'The Studio' world premiere on March 24, 2025. Credit:

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Catherine O'Hara's cause of death has been revealed 10 days after she died on Jan. 30 at age 71.

The legendary actress's manager previously confirmed to * *that she'd died following a brief illness.

O'Hara's death certificate, released on Monday, Feb. 9, lists the main cause as a pulmonary embolism and rectal cancer as an underlying cause, TMZ reports.

The actress was cremated last week, according to the certificate.**

The news of her death came after the actress reportedly suffered a medical emergency that resulted in her being hospitalized. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told PEOPLE that they received a call at 4:48 a.m., for an unnamed female at O'Hara's home address. The woman, presumed to be the *Schitt's Creek* alum, was transported to the hospital "in serious condition," per the outlet.**

Catherine O'Hara on 'Saturday Night Live'.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Although O'Hara never revealed a diagnosis with the public, she previously shared that she had the rare medical condition cardiac inversus, also known as dextrocardia with situs inversus. Cardiac inversus is a congenital condition in which a person's heart and other internal organs are on the other side of the body, creating a mirror image of where most* *people's organs are.

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, while a person can live their whole life without associated symptoms or disability, it can cause complications, especially when the heart is involved.

Catherine O'Hara made final public appearance at a party for the Emmys

Remembering the final 'Schitt's Creek' reunion before Catherine O'Hara's death

During a 2021 interview, O'Hara recalled finding out she had the condition while going to the doctor with her husband Bo Welch — whom she met on the set of *Beetlejuice —* to get tuberculosis tests before their son started nursery school. "He calls us into his office and says, 'You're the first one I've met!' And it's, 'Okay, I don't even know the name, 'cause I don't want to know the name.' Something cardi-inversa. And then dexter-cardia-and-something-inversa," she shared.

When the doctor told the actress that her heart and other organs were flipped, she remembered her husband immediately interjected, "No, her head's on backwards."**

Catherine O'Hara attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

"People are going to think I'm so ignorant not to know this," she added, "but I kind of don't want to know. 'Cause I didn't know before that."

O'Hara was a beloved Hollywood veteran whose roles in Tim Burton's 1988 film* Beetlejuice* as Delia Deetz and Chris Columbus' 1990 hit *Home Alone* as Kate McCallister catapulted her to the A-list. She reprised her role as Kate, the beleaguered mother of Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), in the 1992 sequel *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York*. In 2024, she returned as Delia, the stepmother of Winona Ryder's Lydia, in the long-awaited sequel *Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice*.

Her career enjoyed a second wind when she starred as the once-wealthy matriarch and actress Moira Rose on *Schitt's Creek* (2015–20), for which she won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Actor Awards. And more recently, O'Hara appeared on a pair of buzzy series: HBO's *The Last of Us *and Apple TV's *The Studio, *for which her performances earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

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The actress' death was felt by many of her Hollywood peers and former costars, who flocked to social media to pay tribute to her legacy.

Culkin shared a heartfelt note to the late star on Instagram, alongside a collage featuring two photos of him with the late actress: one from their 1990 hit film and the other from their reunion at Culkin's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in December 2023.

"Mama. I thought we had time," Culkin captioned his sorrowful post. "I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say."

He signed off with a sweet message to the late actress, writing, "I love you. I'll see you later."

Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin at Culkin's star ceremony in December 2023.

Anna Webber/Variety via Getty

O'Hara is survived by her husband, their sons Matthew and Luke, along with her siblings Michael O'Hara, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O'Hara, Tom O'Hara, and Patricia Wallice.**

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