Martin Short’s tour paused and family grappling with loss after daughter Katherine Short, 42, dies

Who feels the impact first is the Short family — private, grieving and asking for space — but ripple effects are already visible: a two-man comedy tour paused, venues scrambling, and mental-health colleagues left to respond. martin short’s immediate circle has postponed shows while the family mourns; the medical examiner has since confirmed the cause of death and community hotlines are listed for anyone affected.

Immediate impact on family, audiences and the mental-health community

The Short family said they are devastated and asked for privacy; they described Katherine as beloved and remembered for the light and joy she brought. The cancellation and postponement of multiple shows on the joint tour with Steve Martin has left ticket-holders and venues adjusting plans, and colleagues in mental-health circles have highlighted the need for support for those affected.

Martin Short: tour dates postponed as details of death emerge

Los Angeles authorities responded to Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills residence on Monday at about 6 p. m.; paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed her place of death as her residence and determined the cause as a gunshot wound of the head. A law enforcement source described the death as an apparent suicide. martin short has postponed several upcoming shows on his joint comedy tour with Steve Martin; the next scheduled tour date without a postponement notice is March 13 in Washington, D. C.

Katherine Short’s work, training and community involvement

Katherine Short was 42 and worked as a social worker in Los Angeles. She earned 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, worked part-time at a psychiatry-led outpatient clinic called Amae Health, and provided community outreach, peer support and psychotherapy in clinic work. She was involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, a group focused on reducing stigma around mental illness.

Family background, earlier losses and a brief timeline

Katherine was the eldest of three children Martin Short adopted with his wife Nancy Dolman. The couple met in the early 1970s while working on a Toronto production of the rock musical Godspell and married in 1980. Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010; the provided context also records her age at death as 58. Katherine’s younger brothers are named Henry and Oliver.

• Early 1970s: Martin Short and Nancy Dolman met while working on a Toronto production of Godspell (year in context: 1972).
• 1980: The couple married.
• 2006 and 2010: Katherine completed degrees at NYU (bachelor’s) and USC (master’s).
• 2010: Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer (age 58 in the provided context).

It’s easy to overlook, but the context notes Katherine’s death came less than a month after the death of a longtime friend and collaborator of Martin Short’s, who died of a pulmonary embolism while privately fighting rectal cancer; details about a public tribute are unclear in the provided context.

Tour logistics and venue responses

Several shows on the Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short tour were postponed. A Milwaukee venue that had been slated to host the duo on a Friday said the postponement was due to "unforeseen circumstances" and that tickets will be honored for a future date. The Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis had performances listed for Feb. 28 that were also postponed. Another account named a specific Milwaukee date, Friday, February 27; venues in Minneapolis and Milwaukee issued notices and one named venue communications addressed the change. Organizers and venues have not listed new dates for the postponed shows in the provided context.

Here’s the part that matters for people with tickets or who were planning to attend: check direct communications from your ticketing point of purchase or the venue for reschedule notices; venues stated tickets will be honored for future dates.

• Katherine Short was 42 and worked as a licensed clinical social worker and in private practice.
• Medical examiner: cause of death listed as gunshot wound of the head; place of death listed as residence.
• Los Angeles Fire Department and paramedics responded to her Hollywood Hills home on Monday at about 6 p. m.; she was pronounced dead shortly after.
• Martin Short postponed tour dates with Steve Martin; a March 13 date in Washington, D. C. was listed as the next scheduled date without a postponement notice.
• Family has asked for privacy and described Katherine as beloved and a bringer of light and joy.

If you or someone you know is struggling: in the U. S. call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK. In the U. K. and Ireland contact Samaritans at 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline at 13 11 14. Other international helplines exist and can be accessed through regional health networks.

The real test will be how the family and tour handle next steps publicly and privately; Martin Short was noted in the provided context as being up for an Actor Award this Sunday, with further detail on that point unclear in the provided context.