Martin Short speaks out for the first time about daughter Katherine’s death
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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255).
Martin Short is breaking his silence on the recent death of his daughter Katherine Short.
Appearing on “CBS Sunday Morning” on May 10, the 76-year-old actor and comedian talked about how he coped with the loss of Katherine, who died by suicide at the age of 42 in February. Short shared Katherine with his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who passed away in 2010 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
“This was a nightmare for the family,” Short said of Katherine’s death.
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Martin Short has opened up about how he and his family are coping with the death of his daughter Katherine Short. (Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)
“But understanding [is] “Mental health and cancer, like my wife’s, are both illnesses, and sometimes with illnesses they are fatal,” he added. “And my daughter struggled for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, and other things, and she did the best she could until she couldn’t.”
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Fox News Digital previously confirmed that Katherine died by suicide on February 23.
Short shared Katherine and sons Henry and Oliver Short with his late wife, Nancy Dolman. (Robin Platzer/Unknown)
Katherine’s place of death was listed as her residence, and the cause was determined to be a “gunshot wound,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. [the] HEAD.”
“It is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a family representative said in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time.
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“The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought to the world.”
Following Katherine’s death, Short postponed the dates of his longtime friend and collaborator’s comedy tour Steve Martin.
Short and Dolman photographed with Katherine and Oliver in 1989. (Getty Images)
Katherine was the eldest of three children Short adopted from Dolman. The couple also had sons Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36. The couple had been married for more than three decades before Dolman’s death.
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Before her death, Katherine pursued a career as a licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles; After studying psychology at New York University and earning a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California, she focused on therapy and mental health advocacy. He has worked both in private practice and in community outreach organizations associated with mental health services.
Despite a career defined by laughs, from iconic wedding planner Franck in “Father of the Bride” to his latest turn on the Emmy-winning series “Only Murders in the Building,” Short has never shied away from talking about the private heartbreak that took place behind the scenes.
During the early years of his life, Short experienced numerous family tragedies in a short period of time; This included the death of his older brother David in a car accident in 1962, when the actor was just 12 years old. Short’s mother, Olive, passed away in 1968 following a battle with cancer, and his father, Charles, died of a stroke just two years later in 1970.
Before her death, Katherine was working as a licensed social worker. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for GBK Brand Bar)
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In the years after Dolman’s death, the comedian acknowledged: his children They went through a turbulent time without their mother.
“It’s been a difficult two years for my children,” she told The Guardian in October 2012.
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“That’s what we go through in life in denial; it can happen to us or our loved ones, and when it happens you gain some, you suffer some. There’s no big surprise.”
Short and Dolman were married for more than three decades before her death. (Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection)
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Nearly a decade later, he reflected on how grief evolves rather than disappears.
“It’s hard” he said AARP in 2019. “I’m still in constant contact with her. She says, ‘Hey Nan,’ you know?”
He added: “I believe that when people die, they focus on the people who loved them. The idea that it’s all over and you don’t talk about them is wrong. It’s based on the denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, it’s still here.”
