Martin Short has had reasons to celebrate this year but, sadly, he’s also had reasons to mourn. The beloved actor and comedian unfortunately lost his daughter, Katherine, earlier this year, as she died by suicide at the age of 42 in February. Up to this point, Short hadn’t publicly discussed his child’s passing, but he’s now done so in a recent interview. Short doesn’t hold back when talking about his feelings on the tragic situation and, quite frankly, his comments are also breaking my heart.
As of late, Short has been promoting his new documentary, Martin, Life is Short, which is set to debut as part of the 2026 TV schedule and will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription. 76-year-old Short recently reflected on his life and career while having a conversation with CBS Mornings. It was during that discussion that the SCTV icon also touched upon Katherine’s death. Short didn’t sugarcoat the fact that he and his relatives were reeling from Katherine’s passing, and he opened up about her mental health struggles:
It's been a nightmare for the family. 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.
Honestly, it’s painful to hear these comments, and they may hit particularly hard for anyone who’s lost a loved one due to mental illness or has tragically lost a child in general. Still, Short conveys tremendous strength in the way in which he describes his daughter’s battle with her illness. What’s also gut-wrenching is how he Short compares the loss to the death of his wife of 30 years, fellow comedian Nancy Dolman, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010:
So, Nan's last words to me were, 'Martin, let me go.' And what she was just saying [was], 'Dad, let me go.'
Martin Short is also the proud father of two sons – Oliver (40) and Henry (36) – who both accompanied him to the premiere of his new documentary just this past week. Family seems to be quite important to the Three Amigos star. To that point, during his interview with CBS, he also talked about being a source of support for Oliver and his family after they lost their home in the California wildfires last year.
This level of candidness is arguably one of the biggest reasons why Short remains so beloved by fans. Sure, they love how he humorously roasts Jimmy Fallon, Steve Martin and other stars, and many adore his sweet moments with Meryl Streep and others. However, I’d argue that it’s the level of sincerity, warmth and giving spirit Short always seems to display that makes him a beloved Hollywood star. So, with that in mind, it’s hard to see him going through yet another family tragedy.
While the sad nature of Katherine Short’s death is difficult to ignore, it’s comforting to hear her father talk about her in such a sentimental way. And, in the aftermath of the loss, it seems as though Martin has a firm support system anchored by his family. We here at CinemaBlend continue to wish the Short family the best as they continue to mourn Katherine.
