Catherine O’Hara was rushed to the hospital after suffering a sudden medical emergency at her Los Angeles home early Friday morning, just hours before her death at the age of 71.
According to a dispatch audio obtained by the Daily Mail, the beloved Home Alone star was experiencing difficulty breathing when first responders were called to her Brentwood residence shortly before 5 a.m. Emergency crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at 4:48 a.m. and transported an approximately 70-year-old woman in serious condition to a nearby hospital.
Despite medical efforts, O’Hara was pronounced dead within hours. Her official cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
O’Hara’s final public appearance came in September at the Emmy Awards, where observers noted she appeared frail on the red carpet. She was notably absent from the Golden Globe Awards in January, despite being nominated for Best Supporting Actress on Television for The Studio.
She is survived by her husband of more than three decades, Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
Tributes poured in from across Hollywood. Macaulay Culkin shared an emotional Instagram post honoring his on-screen mother, while fellow actors including Pedro Pascal and Justin Theroux expressed their grief and admiration, remembering O’Hara as a rare talent whose light left a lasting mark on the industry
