Martin Short's Daughter Katherine Dies by Suicide at Age 42
The Daily Mail has exclusively obtained the 911 emergency call made in connection with the tragic suicide of Martin Short's daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, who died at the age of 42 on Monday. In the distressing audio recording, a dispatcher from the Los Angeles Fire Department can be heard informing first responders that the nature of the wound was 'self-inflicted'. The dispatcher further stated that the individual who reported the incident had been with the patient but was unable to enter the bedroom.
Official Confirmation and Family Statement
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to the Daily Mail that emergency crews responded to a call at the relevant address at approximately 6:41 p.m. local time. However, the spokesperson declined to identify the person involved, citing strict privacy concerns. On Tuesday, representatives for the 75-year-old comedy legend Martin Short confirmed the devastating news in an official statement provided to the Daily Mail.
'It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,' the statement read. '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.'
Katherine Short's Life and Background
Katherine was last seen publicly celebrating her 40th birthday with her father Martin Short in 2023 at the Grand Master Recorders, an event attended by notable celebrities including Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Catherine O'Hara, Bo Welch, and Joni Mitchell. She was a licensed clinical social worker who held a master’s degree from the University of Southern California, dedicating her career to helping others.
Martin Short adopted Katherine and her two brothers, Oliver and Henry, with his late wife Nancy Dolman. Dolman passed away in 2010 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer, ending a marriage that had lasted 30 years. Following her death, Short's longtime comedy partner Steve Martin paid a heartfelt tribute with a musical elegy titled The Great Remember (For Nancy), featured on one of his albums.
Martin Short's Personal Tragedies and Resilience
In a 2019 interview, Martin Short described his marriage to Nancy Dolman as a 'triumph', admitting he still 'talks' to his late wife frequently and feels her presence around him. He has openly discussed his approach to grief, telling CBC that his attitude is simply: 'We go on.' In his 2014 memoir, Short described Nancy's death as 'by far the most awful thing I've been through'.
As he supported his children through the loss of their mother, Short drew from his own profound experiences with tragedy. Speaking to his youngest son Henry the night before Nancy died, he offered words of strength: 'This will make you stronger. This will make you more determined.' Short often references a George Eliot quote that he holds dear: 'Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them.' He added, 'We were together for 36 years. I didn't want to forget Nancy.'
A Lifetime of Loss and Strength
Martin Short, originally from Hamilton, Canada, was orphaned by the age of 20 and has endured significant loss throughout his life. Born in March 1950 as the youngest of five children to Irish and English immigrants Olive Grace and Charles Patrick Short in Ontario, he experienced early tragedy when his oldest brother David died in a car accident in Montreal in 1962, when Martin was just 12 years old.
Six years later, he lost his mother Olive to cancer at age 17, and his father Charles passed away two years after that from complications following a stroke. Despite these devastating events, Short has consistently asserted that these experiences did not 'screw him up' but instead made him stronger and more resilient.
'At 20, I knew things about life and death and tragedy and loss that none of my friends knew about,' he told the Hollywood Reporter recently. 'The only thing I can think of is that these kind of life stresses either empower you or defeat you.' He believes these losses helped him develop emotional 'muscles' to handle challenges later in life, even enhancing his bravery as a performer.
Career Success and Personal Philosophy
Martin Short's outlook on life appears to have contributed to his remarkable career success. He has triumphed on both stage and screen, most recently teaming up with comedy partner Steve Martin in the hit Disney Plus series Only Murders in the Building. Short met his wife Nancy Dolman, a fellow actress, in 1972, and they married in 1980. Five years later, Dolman retired from showbusiness to become a stay-at-home mother to their three adopted children.
Throughout his life, Martin Short has demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of repeated personal tragedies, from losing his parents and brother at a young age to the death of his wife and now the heartbreaking loss of his daughter Katherine. His story remains one of profound grief met with determined strength and an unwavering commitment to moving forward despite life's darkest moments.
