Celebs Who Died In 2026

In 2025, a number of celebrities died, but unfortunately, a new year doesn't mean the circle of life halts, as 2026 has seen many beloved stars take their final curtain call. 

One unexpected glimmer that comes with the passing of a star is that we're often left with an extensive body of work to look back on. For some, that could be songs of theirs that touched our lives at exactly the right time. For others, it could be a character whose antics made us laugh with friends and family while binge-watching a series together (or even connect with strangers over social media). Sometimes, it's not the moments of laughter we remember the most, but the more heartbreaking emotions our favorite actors brought to the screen, reminding us we're not alone in what we're feeling. Reality stars and content creators aren't exempt from that, either — sometimes, just witnessing another person going through something we've experienced (or perhaps haven't experienced but have always wondered about) is a reminder of what it is to be human. 

Whatever these stars' unique contributions have been, they've certainly touched our lives in some way, and with that, it's time to give them the standing ovation they deserve.

Fans of Catherine O'Hara were heartbroken on January 30, 2026, when news broke that she had died after what was initially reported as "a brief illness" (via TMZ). Just over a week later, new details emerged revealing that the actor had been diagnosed with rectal cancer the previous year and that it was ultimately a pulmonary embolism that caused her death. 

Throughout her career, O'Hara played a number of memorable characters fans essentially grew up with, and in the wake of her unexpected passing — the actor was just 71 at the time of her death — fans flooded social media with tributes. Many of O'Hara's past colleagues also shared touching tributes to her. One particularly emotional post came from her "Home Alone" on-screen son Macaulay Culkin. The two were incredibly close, and some will even recall O'Hara speaking at Culkin's induction on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In response to her passing just over two years later, Culkin shared side-by-side pics from the ceremony and a scene from "Home Alone" to Instagram along with the caption, "Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more ... I love you. I'll see you later." O'Hara had also been a screen mom to Dan Levy on "Schitt's Creek," and in an Instagram post of his own, he gushed that even before then, she'd been a family friend thanks to her work with his dad and co-star, Eugene Levy. "Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It's hard to imagine a world without her in it," he penned.

In addition to her on-screen family, O'Hara was also survived by her husband Bo Welch and their two sons, Matthew and Luke Welch. We hope the massive outpouring of love gave them some peace. 

Not even two weeks after Catherine O'Hara's passing, "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek died, as well. The actor was only 48 years old at the time of his death, which was also the result of colorectal cancer. 

Van Der Beek was open about his health issues, even sharing in 2025 that he wouldn't be able to join his "Dawson's Creek" co-stars for the hotly anticipated reunion. "This is the evening I'd been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together ... So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment," he shared in an Instagram post. Van Der Beek also noted that he had been especially looking forward to thanking his fans and former co-stars for their support since his cancer diagnosis in 2024. Even so, he shared that he felt all the love in absentia. "I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin," he penned. 

As fans will know, Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly shared six children, daughters Olivia, Annabel Leah, Emilia, and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah. The actor also made it clear that he lived an incredibly normal life and that his wife and kids were his top priority. Van Der Beek regularly shared videos of special moments with his loved ones, like impromptu hikes, trick-or-treating photo dumps, and snaps of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Egypt. Van Der Beek is certainly gone too soon, but there's no question that the time he did share with loved ones was special, and we hope his family and friends find some comfort in that.