Martin Short breaks silence on tragic death of daughter Katherine as he speaks openly about ‘nightmare’ ordeal
Topics: Celebrity
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Topics: Celebrity
Martin Short has candidly opened up about the painful experience of losing his daughter Katherine earlier this year, as he reflected on the loss and his perceptions of it.
During an appearance on CBS News Sunday Morning on May 10, Short spoke openly for the first time about the ‘nightmare’ ordeal his family had been through as the struggled to process the death of Katherine, 42, who took her own life back in February.
The actor and comedian, 76, described her passing as a ‘a nightmare for the family.’
He then went on to add: "But the understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife's, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal,”
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Short continued "And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she couldn’t until she couldn’t."
"If I wasn't going to talk about this, then I would have pushed the documentary, because it is — listen, it's called Marty, Life Is Short," the actor said. "And suddenly, last October, I lost Diane Keaton on the same day I lost my sister-in-law, Nancy's sister, to cancer. Then Rob and Michelle [Reiner, his wife] have been my lifelong friends for 40 years … And then Catherine O'Hara and then my daughter. I mean, it's been in four months. Staggering."
When asked how he had come to terms with such a string of tragedies, Short didn’t mince his words as he responded: "You can't. You just have to breathe in, breathe out."
Still, the comedian, who has ‘never been in therapy,’ did reveal how he has tried to process his grief in the aftermath of so much loss.
"What I do is, I dictate into my phone and then I transcribe it and I look at it and rewrite it and put it away," he said. "You find if you're repeating your same things, maybe you're moving on a little bit."
Short ended the interview by offering some insight into his views on mortality. "I think we all are in denial about our limited time in this earth," he said. "It's very difficult to accept it... But the more you accept it, I think it does lift you and make you feel that this is a complicated little journey, life. And the more we approach it with wisdom, probably the happier we'll be."
At the time of her death, the Short family announced the tragic passing in a statement to the media which read: "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.”
The Los Angeles coroner later confirmed her death had been a suicide.Katherine was the eldest of three children adopted by Short and his late wife Nancy Dolman, who passed away in 2010 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Unlike her Only Murders in the Building star dad, Katherine opted for a life outside of the spotlight, instead choosing to pursue a career as a social worker away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
A graduate of New York University, Katherine studied psychology and gender sexuality studies, before returning home to Los Angeles, where she undertook a degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010.
In the coming days, Martin’s life will be explored as part of a new Netflix documentary set to air on May 12, which charts Short’s life in the spotlight including his trials and tribulations both on and off screen.
The documentary, entitled Marty, Life Is Short, will offer an intimate look at the star’s life and career, and has been dedicated specifically to his late daughter Katherine, and long time friend Catherine O’Hara who passed away at the age of 71 in January 2026.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.