Martin Short Breaks Silence on Tragic Loss of Daughter Katherine

Martin Short has spoken publicly for the first time about the profound grief he and his family are experiencing following the death of his daughter, Katherine Short. Katherine, who was 42 years old, passed away by suicide on February 23rd. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office listed the cause of death as a "gunshot wound of [the] head."

During a recent "CBS Sunday Morning" interview, Short described Katherine's passing as a "nightmare for the family." He emphasized that mental health issues, like his wife Nancy Dolman's battle with ovarian cancer, can be terminal diseases. Short revealed his daughter had long struggled with severe mental health challenges, including borderline personality disorder, and "did the best she could until she couldn't."

Katherine Short had built a career as a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles, focusing on therapy and mental health advocacy. She pursued her studies in psychology at New York University and earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California. She worked in private practice and in community outreach for mental health services.

This tragedy comes after Short experienced other significant family losses, including the deaths of his older brother David in a car accident in 1962, his mother Olive from cancer in 1968, and his father Charles from a stroke in 1970. He and his late wife Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010, also adopted sons Oliver and Henry. Short had previously acknowledged the difficult period his children faced after their mother's death.