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When did Catherine O'Hara get rectal cancer? What we know as coroner confirms cause of death
Death certificate says Catherine O’Hara died at 71 from a pulmonary embolism caused by rectal cancer, contradicting claims she passed after a brief illness.
Comedian and actor Catherine O'Hara, who passed away in January 30, was suffering from rectal cancer, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office revealed on Monday in her death certificate. The coroner's office said that she suffered a pulmonary embolism, which was caused by underlying rectal cancer, leading to death.
The death certificate contradicts the claim made by O'Hara's representatives that the 'Schitt's Creek' actor died after a "brief illness." O'Hara was 71 at the time of her death.
With details of her cause of death emerging, it has now been revealed that O'Hara was privately suffering from rectal cancer. It has left many fans wondering when the ‘Home Alone’ star was diagnosed.
In this article, we'll look at what was known about O'Hara's illnesses and cancer.
Catherine O'Hara Cancer Diagnosis: What We Knew
Catherine O'Hara had kept the details of her cancer diagnosis private, and it was not known before the Los Angeles coroner confirmed the cause. Following O'Hara's death, journalist Jeff Sneider claimed on X that she was being treated for cancer at Mount Sinai in Toronto. But the claim was unverified till the cause of death came.
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The only illness-related public comment the legendary actor made was in 2021 when she confirmed that she was suffering from cardiac inversus: a rare congenital condition where the heart is positioned on the right side of the chest instead of the left.
Thus, it is not known when exactly Catherine O'Hara was diagnosed with rectal cancer or what stage it was in at the time of her death.
What Is Pulmonary Embolism?
The LA County coroner revealed that the primary cause of Catherine O'Hara's death was pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is a condition when a blood clot that forms elsewhere in the body travels through the bloodstream and suddenly blocks an artery in the lung, cutting off blood flow, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The death certificate shows that Catherine O'Hara's body was handed over to her husband, Bo Welch, and she has been cremated.
