Martin Short is speaking out for the first time about his daughter Katherine Hartley Short’s death.
“It’s been a nightmare for the family,” Short told CBS Sunday Morning of Katherine’s death on Sunday, May 10, per Variety. “But the understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife’s, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal. And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she couldn’t until she couldn’t.”
Katherine — whom Martin, 75, shared with his late wife, Nancy Dolman — died on February 23 at age 42.
“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,” Martin’s rep told Us Weekly in a February 24 statement. “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Us that officers responded to a radio call about a possible suicide attempt in the Hollywood Hills on February 23 at 6:43 p.m. Upon their arrival, authorities found a deceased female at the scene.
The day after the news broke of Katherine’s death, Us confirmed via online records that her cause of death was officially ruled a suicide.
According to 911 dispatch audio obtained by TMZ, the person who made the call told a dispatcher they were at Katherine’s Hollywood Hills home but unable to enter a bedroom within the residence. The outlet later claimed that Katherine was found “behind a locked door and with a note nearby.”
In the wake of the tragedy, Martin and his friend and collaborator Steve Martin postponed their comedy shows in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 27 and 28, respectively. The venues cited “unforeseen circumstances” and assured that purchased tickets would be honored for a future “rescheduled” date.
One of Katherine’s neighbors — who lived near her for more than 10 years and asked to remain anonymous — exclusively told Us in February that she showed “no indication of struggle” prior to her death, pointing out that “depression is often a silent” and “hidden killer.”
“Katherine was a private person but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t friendly. She was quite outgoing,” the neighbor revealed, adding that they’d sometimes “hear and see her laughing with friends” on her front porch and she “always said ‘Hi.’”
“She was a voracious reader and could talk deeply about the books she’d read,” the neighbor told Us. “She had the nicest, most beautiful orange tree in her front yard. It was the envy of all the neighbors. Somehow the bugs that affected our trees did not land in hers.”
Katherine was a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles and worked part-time at a health clinic, helping with community outreach, support groups and psychotherapy. She also reportedly worked with a nonprofit organization focused on breaking the ongoing stigmas surrounding mental health.
Martin and Nancy were married from December 1980 until her death from ovarian cancer in August 2010 at age 58. The couple adopted Katherine and their sons, Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
