Martin Short: Katherine Short dies at 42 as martin short family asks for privacy

Katherine Short, a Los Angeles social worker and the eldest daughter of actor and comedian Martin Short, has died at 42. The Short family said that they are "devastated by this loss and ask for privacy at this time, " and the family added that Katherine "was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world. "

Martin Short family statement and circumstances at the Hollywood Hills home

The family statement identified her as Katherine Hartley Short. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to her Hollywood Hills home on Monday at about 6 p. m., and paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. A law enforcement source said her death was an apparent suicide.

Education, clinical work and charity involvement

Katherine Short held a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender studies from New York University in 2006 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010. She operated a private practice and worked part-time at a psychiatry-led outpatient clinic called Amae Health. She was also described as a licensed clinical social worker who provided community outreach, peer support and psychotherapy, and she was involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, whose mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness.

Family history: Nancy Dolman, Godspell and siblings Henry and Oliver

Katherine was the eldest of three children Martin Short adopted with his wife, actor Nancy Dolman. Dolman first met Martin Short while they were working together on a Toronto production of the rock musical "Godspell" in 1972; the couple married in 1980 and later adopted Katherine and her younger brothers, Henry and Oliver. Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010; she was 58 at the time.

Martin Short's career, memoir and a 2014 reflection

Martin Short's career has included work on "SCTV" and roles in films such as "Best in Show, " as well as appearances on "Schitt’s Creek. " In a 2014 interview at his Pacific Palisades home, Martin Short reflected on loss after his wife died, saying he had been asked to write books over the years but realized it had to be something more important than anecdotes and that after his wife died "we all go through this and we wake up the next day whether we think the world should stop or not — it doesn’t. " That year he published his memoir, "I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, " which he dedicated to his children.

Tour postponements and awards timing in Milwaukee and Minneapolis

Martin Short is on a two-man comedy tour with his longtime friend and "Only Murders in the Building" co-star Steve Martin. The comedy duo's next scheduled show was set for Friday at Milwaukee’s Miller High Life Theatre. A string of live shows on the tour has been postponed, including the Milwaukee date originally scheduled for Friday, February 27, and an appearance in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 28. Martin Short also faces an award nomination this weekend: he is up for an Actor Award for actor in a comedy series for his performance as Oliver Putnam in "Only Murders in the Building, " a show that co-stars Martin Short and Selena Gomez and is also nominated in the ensemble category.

Catherine O'Hara's recent death and the tour tribute

Katherine Short's death comes less than a month after actor Catherine O'Hara, a close friend and longtime collaborator of Martin Short's, died of a pulmonary embolism after privately fighting rectal cancer. Martin Short and Steve Martin paid tribute to O'Hara during a recent stop on their joint comedy tour; Martin Short recalled meeting O'Hara when she was 18 and said, "In all these years later, she has been the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel. " O'Hara was also nominated this season for her portrayal of Hollywood veteran Patty Leigh in "The Studio, " a project that earned five total nominations.

Separate remembrance and crisis resources

Separately, a group of Rob Reiner's closest friends released a statement remembering him as a "passionate, brave citizen" who worked to make the world a better place. For anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or in crisis, callers in the United States can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be reached on freephone 116 123. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is available at 13 11 14.