Catherine O’Hara’s death was announced last night as it was confirmed she had died in Los Angeles “following a brief illness”, her agency CAA said
Catherine O’Hara attends the World Premiere of Apple TV+’s Series “The Studio” at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California(Image: Emma McIntyre/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Beloved Hollywood actress Catherine O’Hara is reported to have experienced a ‘medical emergency’ and struggled with breathing in the hours leading up to her death at 71.
News of Catherine’s passing broke last night, with her agency CAA confirming she had died in Los Angeles “following a brief illness”. The announcement sparked an outpouring of grief, with tributes flooding in from celebrity friends and admirers worldwide.
New information is now coming to light about the star’s final moments, with reports indicating emergency services were summoned to her Brentwood residence in Los Angeles before she was rushed to hospital and “listed in a serious condition”.
Just hours afterwards, the legendary actress was declared dead, according to TMZ. Page Six separately reports Catherine was taken to a Los Angeles hospital in a “serious condition” where she subsequently passed away, reports the Mirror.
Catherine was known for her award-winning role in Schitt’s Creek(Image: AP)
Emergency medical teams were reportedly dispatched to her property at 4.48am on Friday morning, with the star transported in a “serious condition”. A 911 dispatch call, secured by the Daily Mail, reveals a dispatcher instructing first responders: “Engine rescue 19, breathing difficulty 575”
An LAFD spokesperson confirmed to the publication: “At 4:48 am we responded to a request for medical aid to that address and transported an approximately 70-year-old female in serious condition.”
As word of her passing spread, heartfelt tributes poured in from celebrity friends and former co-stars, including Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, who played her son Kevin in the beloved film franchise. “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,” he penned.
“I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Catherine’s most iconic role was as Kate McCallister in Home Alone(Image: 20th Century Studios)
Michael Keaton, her Beetlejuice co-star, said: “We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her.”
Meryl Streep, who worked with her on the 1986 comedy Heartburn, reflected: “Catherine O’Hara brought love and light to our world, through whipsmart compassion for the collection of eccentrics she portrayed… such a loss for her family and friends, and the audience she graced as friends.”
Pedro Pascal, who shared the screen with Catherine in The Last of Us, wrote in his tribute: “Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world; this lucky world that had you will keep you always. Always.”
Catherine O’Hara’s tragic final hours revealed as Home Alone star ‘had difficulty breathing'(Image: Getty Images)
Actress Rita Wilson shared: “Catherine O’Hara – a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did. You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family. Bo, Luke and Matthew, our deepest sympathies. May Catherine rest in peace. May her memory be eternal.”
O’Hara leaves behind her husband Bo Welch and sons Matthew and Luke, according to the statement, with her family planning a private commemoration of her life.
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