“Poltergeist” Star Heather O'Rourke's Family and Costars 'Hurt' by Rumors of a Curse After Actress' Death at 12
“Poltergeist” Star Heather O'Rourke's Family and Costars 'Hurt' by Rumors of a Curse After Actress' Death at 12
Angela AndaloroTue, February 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Heather O'Rourke in 1982 and 1986
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Ron Wolfson/WireImage
Heather O'Rourke became famous as a child actress in the Poltergeist films and Happy Days
O'Rourke died in Feb. 1988 at age 12 after going into septic shock as the result of an intestinal blockage
O'Rourke's life and death are the subject of a new documentary, Heather O'Rourke: She Was Here, featuring her family and friends' input on the story of her faith and heartbreaking death
Those close to Heather O'Rourke are still hurt by rumors surrounding her death, 38 years later.
The actress, who rose to fame as Carol Anne Freeling in 1982's Poltergeist, died at a San Diego hospital in February 1988 due to intestinal stenosis. Heather was 12 years old and months ahead of the release of Poltergeist III.
In the new documentary about the actress's life, titled She Was Here, Heather's friends, family, and costars open up about rumors that arose in the years following her death.
"One of the biggest things we've come to notice lately is these comments for years on website and stuff where they talked about Heather. Everyone thinks they know better than our mom, or better than us," older sister Tammy O'Rourke shares.
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Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke and JoBeth Williams in "Poltergeist"
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty
Tammy elaborates, sharing that people have alternative theories about what could have been done about the actress's health or suggestions that her death was caused by something other than her health. Heather was originally diagnosed with Crohn's disease brought on by a parasite. It wasn't until hours before her death that an intestinal blockage was uncovered, which was later determined to be congenital.
"I'm sure it comes from a good place. They have a good heart and they're trying to be nice about it, but it's just so hurtful. So many things, just jabs that they say about her..." Tammy shared.
One of Heather's friends recalls her daughter coming to her with a rumor she read on social media about Macaulay Culkin encountering someone who claimed their shoes were made from Heather's skin. Headlines from tabloids of the day accused a "pedophile ring" of killing the young actress, all of which are seen as examples of how her story was taken in a sinister direction.
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Heather O'Rourke in 1983
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
"I'm looking at all these stories that are just fabricated. They're false. It's a bunch of crap, so when I'm looking at it, it makes me angry, because I'm going , 'Man, that is not true at all.' All of these stories that people are commenting on and it was just false. And of course, 12-year-old Tiffany is still coming out and wanting to protect her," another friend shared.
Similarly, Heather's Poltergeist costars have taken offense to her memory being tied to "the Poltergeist curse."
"For all of this stuff and the Poltergeist curse and all of this to be heaped upon her memory, that's just not fair and not good," director Gary Sherman shared.
Craig T. Nelson, who played Steve Freeling, dad to Heather's Carol Anne, added, "What curse? I mean, come on. That's part of the reason why I didn't want to do the third one. That's so ridiculous."
Oliver Robins, Dominique Dunne, Craig T Nelson, Heather O'Rourke and JoBeth Williams on set of "Poltergeist"
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty
Archival footage showed Zelda Rubinstein, who played Tangina, talking about it in an interview, expressing, "I owe it to Heather to present her case as most honestly and lovingly as I can. I love this child very much, and I am still very grieved at her passing. I think that it's pretty much a courtesy, to put to an end this superstitious crap."
"It's just a way of selling magazines and newspapers," Sherman says, adding, "It has nothing to do with the reality of what went on."
Heather O'Rourke: She Was Here is available Feb. 24 for rental and download on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home and Google Play.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
