Martin Short’s daughter Katherine Short dies at 42; cause revealed
martin short’s eldest child, Katherine Short, has died at 42. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the death as a suicide, listing the cause as a gunshot wound of the head and the place of death as her residence; she died on Monday.
Found at her Hollywood Hills home around 6 p. m.
Emergency crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills home on Monday at about 6 p. m.; paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. A law enforcement source said the death was an apparent suicide.
Medical examiner lists gunshot wound to the head
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound of the head and listed her place of death as her residence. Katherine Short was 42.
Martin Short pauses tour after daughter's death
After Katherine’s death, martin short postponed multiple dates on his joint comedy tour with longtime friend and collaborator Steve Martin. A string of early shows was delayed, with venue notices saying the changes were due to unforeseen circumstances and that tickets will be honored for future dates.
Which shows were affected
The duo’s live show, "The Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short, " had scheduled stops in Milwaukee and Minneapolis this weekend that were postponed. Venues that posted updates included a Milwaukee theatre listing a Friday, February 27 performance as postponed and the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis listing Feb. 28 shows as postponed; the Hennepin Theatre Trust confirmed the Minneapolis update. One account noted the next scheduled tour date without a postponement notice is March 13 in Washington, D. C.
Her work, education and community involvement
Katherine Short held a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 2006 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010. Her bachelor’s degree was described in different accounts as in psychology and gender studies and elsewhere as in psychology and gender sexuality studies. She operated a private practice, worked part-time at a psychiatry-led outpatient clinic called Amae Health, and provided community outreach, peer support and psychotherapy through clinic work. She was involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind—described in one account as an organization whose mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness and in another as aiming to empower young people to build connected, empathetic and supportive school communities where conversations about mental health are welcome and stigma-free.
Family background and recent losses
Katherine was the eldest of three children Martin Short adopted with his then-wife, Nancy Dolman. Dolman first met Short while working on a Toronto production of the rock musical "Godspell" in the early 1970s; another account gives the meeting year as 1972. They married in 1980 and shared roughly three decades of marriage before Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010; one source noted Dolman was 58 at the time of her death. Katherine’s younger brothers are Henry and Oliver.
Katherine’s death came less than a month after the death of actor Catherine O’Hara, a close friend and longtime collaborator of Martin Short’s; O’Hara died of a pulmonary embolism after a private battle with rectal cancer. Martin Short paid tribute to O’Hara during a recent stop on the tour, recalling meeting her at 18 and saying, "In all these years later, she has been the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel. " In a 2014 interview, Martin Short said he had published a memoir, "I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, " which he dedicated to his children; he had also spoken in 2014 about the way life continues after loss. A fragment in the provided material notes Martin Short is up for an Actor Award this Sunday, but that line is incomplete in the provided context.
Help and crisis resources
This coverage includes references to crisis lines. In the United States, people can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK. Other helplines noted include the Samaritans in the UK and Ireland at 116 123 and Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14; other international helplines can be found through Befrienders.
The family released a statement saying, "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. "
Next on the schedule, the two-person tour had been due in Milwaukee on Friday and in Minneapolis on Feb. 28 before the postponements; ticket-holders will be notified about rescheduled dates, and the March 13 date in Washington, D. C. remained listed as the next confirmed date without a postponement notice in the provided material.
