Catherine O’Hara, the cherished actress celebrated for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek,” “Home Alone,” and “Best in Show,” has passed away at 71.

According to a statement from her agency, CAA, O’Hara died at her Los Angeles home on Friday after a brief illness.

Her last public appearance was at the Emmy Awards in September 2025, where she appeared noticeably frail and thinner than usual.

The specific cause of her death has not been disclosed, nor is there information about the illness she was battling.

O’Hara had previously been diagnosed with situs inversus, a rare congenital condition where the major organs are mirrored from their usual positions.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that situs inversus occurs in about one in every 10,000 people and is more frequently found in males.

O’Hara rarely spoke about her condition but said in an interview that she had to get a tuberculosis test when her son was in nursey school. While doing preliminary tests, she got a chest x-ray, which revealed her sinus inversus.

She said: ‘I’m a freak! I love Western medicine, I just don’t want to be a part of it.’

Catherine O’Hara arrives at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on September 14, 2025

The above graphic shows normal anatomy (left, situs solitus) and the flipped anatomy (right) that is observed in people with situs inversus

O’Hara admitted that she wanted to remain ignorant to her condition, adding: ‘I don’t even know the name because I don’t want to know the name. Something cardi-inversa and then dexter-cardia and something-inversa.

‘People are going to think I’m so ignorant not to know this, but I kind of don’t want to know because I didn’t know before that.’

Below, Daily Mail explains the condition and what it could mean for people’s health.  

What is situs inversus?

In situs inversus, organs are in flipped or reverse positions. 

Typically, the condition impacts the major organs, including the heart, lungs, stomach, liver and spleen. 

Organs normally form in a left-right formation, but in situs inversus, they develop in a right-left formation, according to The Cleveland Clinic. 

In people with situs inversus, the left atrium of the heart and the left lung are on the right side of the body. The liver would be on the left side instead of the right. 

And the stomach and spleen are on the right side of the body instead of the left. 

There are two types of situs inversus, dextrocardia with situs inversus, which is what O’Hara said she thinks she had, and levocardia with situs inversus. 

The former occurs when the tip of the heart points toward the right side of the chest, instead of the left, and other organs are also flipped.

The latter occurs when the tip of the heart is pointing toward the left side as normal but other organs are flipped.  

O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin at Culkin’s star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 1, 2023

O’Hara is seen above arriving for the 24th Critics Choice Awards in January 2019

What causes situs inversus?

Situs inversus occurs when a person has a genetic mutation. More than 100 genes have been linked to organ-placement defects.

In order for someone to have the condition, they must have inherited a mutated gene from both of their parents. 

Other risk factors for situs inversus include a family history of birth defects, maternal diabetes, use of cough suppressants during pregnancy, use of tobacco during pregnancy and low socioeconomic status.  

Are there any complications from situs inversus?

Despite the organs being in the wrong position, they still function normally, so a person with situs inversus may not even know they have the condition and may not experience symptoms or any complications. 

However, if the condition exists alongside others or defects, symptoms may occur. 

People with situs inversus may experience other cardiac defects, including primary ciliary dyskinesia, which causes mucus to build up in the lungs. 

This can lead to bronchitis and sinusitis. 

While situs inversus may not interfere with health, it is important to be aware of the condition as it can lead to misdiagnosis or delay of care in some cases.  

Can situs inversus be fixed? 

The condition doesn’t cause symptoms that require medical treatment. 

There is no cure for situs inversus and doctors will not recommend surgery to put the swapped organs back in their rightful places. 

If there are any symptoms or complications arising from a co-occurring defect, doctors will treat those. 

Fortunately, most people with situs inversus can live a healthy life and a typical lifespan.