Daughter of Canadian Comedian Martin Short Dies at 42

The daughter of Canadian actor Martin Short has died at the age of 42. 

The comedian posted a tribute to his daughter, Katherine Short, on social media, describing her as “the light of our lives.”

“It is with broken hearts that we share the passing of our beloved daughter, Katherine Hartley Short,” he wrote in a Feb. 24 Facebook post. “There are no words for the depth of this loss. Our family is devastated, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this unimaginable heartbreak.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call from Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills home on Feb. 23. TMZ, which was the first to break the news, is reporting she died by suicide, citing the Los Angeles Police Department. Several media outlets have confirmed this report.

Katherine Short was not a part of the entertainment scene but was regularly seen with her father at events.

Martin Short described her as a person who was “full of warmth” and “kindness” and was “a joy that touched everyone she met.” 

She was the oldest of the three children adopted by Martin Short and his wife, actress Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 of ovarian cancer. The couple first met in the early 1970s during their collaboration on the Toronto production of the rock musical “Godspell.”

Katherine Short dedicated her career to supporting individuals with mental health needs as a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles. She ran a private practice in addition to her part-time role at the psychiatry-led outpatient clinic, Amae Health.

She was also active in the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, a non-profit organization co-founded by actress and activist Glenn Close that aims to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.

Katherine Short earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender studies from New York University (NYU) in 2006 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010, before beginning her professional career.

Like Katherine, her two younger brothers—Oliver Patrick Short, 39, and Henry Hayter Short, 36—did not follow their parents in pursuing acting.

Martin Short is known for his work on the television programs “Saturday Night Live” and “The Morning Show,” but has appeared in numerous shows and movies over the years as well as on stage in several popular Broadway productions.

He is currently starring in “Only Murders in the Building,” an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The show also stars Martin and Selena Gomez.

He has earned nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award, the Golden Globe Award, and a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his performance in the show. 

The 75-year-old was scheduled to do a comedy show with fellow actor Steve Martin on Feb. 27, but the show has been postponed, the Pabst Theater Group announced on its website.

The death of Martin Short’s daughter comes less than a month after fellow Canadian actor Catherine O’Hara died of a pulmonary embolism. O’Hara was a close friend and longtime collaborator of Short’s and he recently described her as “the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel.”