The Hollywood star Martin Short’s daughter Katherine was found dead in her home on Monday. She was 42 years-old.
Katherine Found Dead At 42
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” the Short family told People Magazine. “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 has confirmed that Katherine died by suicide. The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to her home in the Hollywood Hills at 6:41pm on Monday. Katherine had reportedly been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Daily Mail obtained a 911 call in which the dispatcher said that the person who reported the incident had been “with the patient and unable to enter the bedroom.”
Katherine was a licensed clinical social worker, therapist and charity volunteer. A friend of hers told Daily Mail that though she struggled with her mental health for many years, Katherine “loved to laugh.”
“She was such a wonderful, giving, loving human being. I’m picturing her face right now, laughing,” said Rande Levine, founder of Karma Rescue, a dog charity on whose board Katherine served.
“It’s just so devastating to find out she took her own life,” Levine added. “I knew she was battling with that stuff. But she put her soul into helping others that were experiencing the same things she was.”
Katherine had been living in her Hollywood Hills neighborhood for about six years.
“Katherine pretty much kept to herself. She had been sick, struggling with some sort of physical illness,” a neighbor said. “She must have been in so much anguish to have done this. It’s just so sad.”
Katherine’s History
Katherine was adopted by Martin, 75, and his late wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman. Sadly, Nancy died of ovarian cancer in 2010 at the age of 58. Martin and Nancy also adopted two other children: sons Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36.
Katherine received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from New York University in 2006. She later earned her master’s in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010.
Levine said that Katherine helped countless people over the years with their mental health struggles. She also loved working with animals. However, according to Levine, Katherine took time off from her charity work several times in the 2010s to check into an inpatient mental health facility when she found herself at her own mental low points.
“She’d say, ‘I won’t be around, I’m going away,'” Levine recalled. “She’d go check into some place to boost her up again.”
“I knew she was battling with this. She would talk about it. But you would never know based on how she presented herself, and how funny she was,” Levine continued. “She always was smiling, always a pleasure to be around. Every experience or connection I had with Katherine was always positive. She was so soft spoken. She was calm, she laughed a lot.”
Katherine’s Bond With Martin
Levine went on to say that Katherine was particularly close to Martin.
“I feel so sad for her dad. They were so close,” she said. “He was so supportive of her and a big part of her life. When we’d talk on the phone or email, he was always involved with her, being a supportive dad.”
Martin has been known as one of the funniest stars in Hollywood for decades. Since 2021, he’s been starring in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building alongside his close friend Steve Martin and the actress Selena Gomez. In recent years, Martin has also been dating the three-time Oscar-winning Hollywood legend Meryl Streep.
This is clearly an extremely tragic situation for Martin and the entire Short family. Please join us in saying a prayer for them.
Rest in peace, Katherine Short.