Catherine O’Hara’s Pals Are In ‘Complete Shock’ By Sudden Death – They Had No Idea About Mystery Illness: REPORT

Catherine O’Hara and her family did not tell anyone about her illness! Not even her closest friends, according to a new source!

As we reported, the 71-year-old actress died on Friday “following a brief illness.” The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call to Catherine’s home at 4:48 a.m. about an “approximately 70-year-old” who was having difficulty breathing. They subsequently took her to a hospital “in serious condition,” where she passed away.

Related: How Catherine’s Family Plans To Honor Her Following Her Death

An exact cause of death is unknown. Her rep did not even publicly reveal what kind of illness Catherine suffered while confirming her death. In fact, the Home Alone alum’s friends were reportedly unaware she was even so sick! Dailymail.com reported on Saturday her husband, Bo Welch, “may have known this was coming,” but “many of those closest to O’Hara were kept in the dark about her condition during her final days.” Sources said that her pals were left in “complete shock” about the news of her death.

Even Paul Herman, a retired physician who has lived next door to Catherine, said he had “no knowledge” of her mystery illness. The Beetlejuice star notably missed the Golden Globes earlier this month despite having been nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television for her role as Patty Leigh in AppleTV+‘s The Studio. Her absence made Paul a “little bit suspicious,” but he added that he also hadn’t properly seen her out in Brentwood in “years.” The neighbor added:

“Bo and Catherine were always very pleasant. They were just the kindest, most agreeable neighbors.”

This is not the first time we’ve heard that those outside Catherine’s family didn’t know about her health issue. The Sun previously reported that she was scheduled to start shooting Season 2 of The Studio but pulled out just days before her death due to “personal matters.” A source said that no one knew “she was dealing with any health or major issues,” so her passing came “as a total shock to everyone on the show.” And because she missed filming, fans won’t get to see her as Patty next season. How sad.

Her illness was possibly a recent development. One insider told Dailymail.com that Catherine was spotted at SUR in West Hollywood just a few weeks ago, on January 13, for a Supermodels Unlimited magazine event. It is important to note there are no pictures of her at the function. However, she appeared, the source claimed, “in great spirits” and doing well. They added:

“As quickly as she was seen, she left, but she looked healthy for a 71 year old.”

Oof. It seems like this was all so unexpected…

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[Image via MEGA/WENN]