Martin Short has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his daughter, Katherine Short, describing it as a "nightmare for the family." Katherine died by suicide in February at her home in the Hollywood Hills. She was 42 years old.
Comparing Losses
In an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, the 76-year-old actor and comedian compared his daughter's death to that of his wife, Nancy Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010 at age 58. "The understanding is that mental health and cancer, like my wife's, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal," Short said. "My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health issues, borderline personality disorder, and did the best she could, until she couldn't."
Short recalled his wife's last words: "Martin, let me go." He said Katherine was essentially saying the same thing: "Dad, let me go."
Advocating for Mental Health
Short expressed a "deep desire" to bring mental health "out of the shadows" so people would not feel "ashamed" to discuss it. "Not hiding from the word suicide, but accepting that this can be the last stage of an illness," he said. He emphasized the need to treat mental health as a disease, just like cancer.
Short also mentioned losing several close friends and family members in the past year, including his sister-in-law and friends Diane Keaton, Rob and Michele Reiner, and Catherine O'Hara. "It's staggering," he said. "You just have to breathe in, breathe out."
Katherine's Life and Career
Katherine was the eldest of three children adopted by Short and Dolman. She largely stayed out of the spotlight, though she occasionally attended events with her father. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from New York University in 2006 and a master's in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010. She worked as a licensed clinical social worker in private practice.
Upcoming Documentary
Short spoke ahead of the release of a new Netflix documentary titled Marty, Life Is Short, premiering May 12. The film explores Short's early experiences with loss, including the death of his older brother David in a car accident when Short was 12, and the loss of both parents while he was still a teenager. Short said these tragedies gave him "a muscle of survival and handling grief," and the courage to perform: "If you've gone through that, an audience not liking you is really not that important anymore."
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, call Lifeline at 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
