Martin Short: Daughter Katherine Short, LA Social Worker, Dies at 42 — Cause and Tour Postponements Detailed
martin short’s family has confirmed the death of his eldest daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, a Los Angeles social worker. The family said they are devastated, asked for privacy, and said Katherine was beloved and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.
Martin Short tour dates postponed after daughter’s death
Following Katherine Short’s death, Martin Short postponed multiple upcoming performances on his joint comedy tour with Steve Martin. Venues in Milwaukee and Minneapolis that were scheduled to host the duo issued postponement notices; the Milwaukee venue that had been slated to host the Friday show described the change as due to "unforeseen circumstances" and said tickets will be honored for a future date. One Milwaukee theater issued an announcement addressing the change, and the Minneapolis theater trust confirmed updates as well. The next scheduled tour date without a postponement notice is March 13 in Washington, D. C. Promoters and the performers have rescheduled several shows in the wake of the news.
How Katherine Short died and official confirmations
Emergency responders went to Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills home on Monday at about 6 p. m., and paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. A law enforcement source described the death as an apparent suicide. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later confirmed that her place of death was listed as her residence and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound of the head. Katherine Short died on Monday.
Katherine Short’s career and community work
Katherine Short held a master’s degree in social work from USC, earned in 2010, and had a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender studies from NYU in 2006 (the bachelor’s degree is also referenced in some accounts as in psychology and gender sexuality studies). She operated a private practice and worked part-time at a psychiatry-led outpatient clinic known as Amae Health, providing community outreach, peer support and psychotherapy in that clinical role. She was involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, which works to end stigma and discrimination around mental illness and to empower young people to build more connected, empathetic and supportive school communities.
Family background and personal history
Katherine was the eldest of three children Martin Short adopted with his wife Nancy Dolman. The family included younger brothers Henry and Oliver. Martin Short and Nancy Dolman met while working on a Toronto production of the rock musical Godspell in the early 1970s; one account places their meeting in 1972. They married in 1980. Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010; one account lists her age at death as 58. Martin Short wrote about loss and resilience in the years after his wife’s death and in 2014 published a memoir titled I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, which he dedicated to his children. In a 2014 interview at his Pacific Palisades home he reflected on being asked to write books and on how life continues after loss.
Wider context, reactions and related notes
Katherine Short’s death comes less than a month after actor Catherine O’Hara, described as a close friend and longtime collaborator of Martin Short’s, died of a pulmonary embolism after fighting rectal cancer. Martin Short and Martin paid tribute to O’Hara during a recent stop on their joint comedy tour. Separately, the Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer said he was "gutted" after a serious illness forced his band to cancel fall tour dates. Martin Short is also listed as being up for an Actor Award this Sunday for acto (unclear in the provided context).
Help and resources
This story involves suicide. In the United States you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 800-273-TALK. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted at 116 123. In Australia, Lifeline is available at 13 11 14. Other international helplines are available online. Recent updates indicate additional details may continue to emerge, and some items in the public record remain unclear in the provided context.
