Catherine O'Hara passed away at the age of 71. While the cause of her death hasn't been revealed, let's know about her rare condition, Situs inversus!
American and Canadian actress, Catherine O'Hara passed away at the age of 71, leaving the entire Hollywood community mourning. The actress's career spanned nearly 50 years, and throughout it, she continued to win people's hearts with her acting. Her demise on January 30, 2026, left people heartbroken. She began her career with a sketch comedy series that earned her an Emmy, and since then, there has been no looking back for the actress.
Nothing much about the reason for Catherine's death was known; however, amid her demise, her statement about her rare congenital condition surfaced. For the unversed, Catherine was diagnosed with situs inversus. What was it? Let's know about the same!
For the unversed, while sitting for an interview with Virtual Happy Hour, Catherine O'Hara revealed that she got to know about her rare condition of situs inversus. She revealed that by the time she had known about this condition, her parents already passed away. Catherine had six siblings, and they all had no idea about the condition that the actress had. So, situs inversus is a congenital condition that generally occurs due to a genetic mutation and can be passed down to children from their parents. In this rare condition, major visceral organs are mirrored in their positions.
For example, the heart, which is generally on the left, could be found on the right, and the liver could be spotted on the left. Catherine O'Hara joked that she was a 'freak', while revealing how she could find out about her condition. It's worth mentioning that while this is a rare condition, people with situs inversus tend to live a normal life.
Catherine O'Hara had no idea about her rare condition. To mention, Catherine O'Hara once underwent a TB test, which required 2 TKG machines, but later a chest X-ray was performed. Back then, Catherine was told about her rare condition. Speaking more about the same, Catherine O'Hara revealed:
"I love Western medicine, I just don’t want to be a part of it. But I had to get a TB test when our youngest was in co-op nursery school and I went to my husband’s doctor and he said let’s do some baseline tests, and one of them was an EKG. I was like, ‘What is happening?’ He calls us into his office and says ‘You’re the first one I’ve met!’” I’m one of seven kids and my parents were already gone and left the world by that time. Never heard anything about this.”
People have been wondering if Catherine O'Hara's rare condition was the reason for her demise. To mention, the actress's real cause of death was not officially confirmed. For the unversed, as per TMZ, the actress faced an emergency at her L.A. home before she died.
The publication had an audio recording of 911, which revealed that Catherine was facing breathing difficulties before she was rushed to the hospital. Reportedly, the actress's family members called in 911 from her Brentwood home at around 5 a.m. after which she was taken to a hospital. It was on January 30, 2026, when Catherine passed away. The official reason for the death hasn't been disclosed yet.
What do you think about Catherine O'Hara's rare health condition?
Also Read: Who Is Catherine O'Hara's Husband Bo Welch? All About Him And Their 1st Meeting Amid Her Death At 71