Martin Short is finally opening up about his daughter, Katherine Short’s, death, and how the family is coping with the tragedy.
Short Opening Up
Martin Short appeared on CBS News Sunday Morning on May 10th, talking with Tracy Smith about Katherine’s passing.
He said, it’s been a nightmare for the family. But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife, are both diseases and sometimes with diseases, they are terminal.”
During the conversation, he shed some light on his daughter’s unseen battle.
He added, “My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t.”
Short reflected, “Nan’s last words to me were, ‘Martin, let me go,'” adding of his daughter, “And she was just saying, ‘Dad, let me go.'”
While he understood Katherine’s mental health battle, it didn’t make her loss any easier for him or his sons.
He thought about the day Katherine died, sharing, “And I was thinking,’ Okay, I’m 75. Why am I continuing? Like, really? What is the point of this?'”
However, when the comedian arrived at his son Oliver’s house in Newport Beach, he remembered the why.
“I got to Newport, and these two grandsons, five and four just jumped, ‘Let’s play giant,'” he said. “And suddenly go, ‘Oh, that’s why. That’s why.'”
Death Announcement
Several news outlets released the news that Katherine Short died by suicide on February 23rd, 2026.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Katherine’s place of death was her residence, with the cause being a “gunshot wound of [the] head.”
The Short family released a statement about her death to People at the time. It said, “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
Martin Short shared three children with his late wife, Nancy Dolman. The pair adopted all three children (Oliver, Henry, and Katherine).
Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010.
Katherine’s Work
Before her death, Katherine worked in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker and in a part-time position at the clinic Amae Health. She focused on therapy and mental health advocacy, implementing them in community outreach, family support groups, peer support, and psychotherapy.
She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from New York University in 2006, and then earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010.
Short’s Upcoming Documentary
Martin Short‘s life with all its ups and downs will be featured in the Netflix documentary film, Marty, Life Is Short, premiering on May 12th.
The documentary will provide a glimpse into Short’s life and career, including his larger-than-life personality and the losses he’s experienced.
According to CBS News Sunday Mornings, the documentary is dedicated to daughter Katherine and actress Catherine O’Hara, who died on January 30th and worked with Short for years.
In a trailer, longtime friend and actress Andrea Martin tells cameras, “Being a dad, it’s as genuine as his breath.”