Martin Short’s daughter Katherine Hartley Short dies
Martin Short’s eldest daughter, Catherine Hartley Short, has died at the age of 42.
This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is in trouble or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Martin Short requested a medical examination, which confirmed that his eldest daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, had died in February, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
According to a report obtained by USA TODAY on May 26, the Emmy Award-winning actor, 76, asked a friend of his late daughter to check on her on February 23 after he hadn’t heard from her in more than 24 hours. According to a report obtained by USA TODAY on May 26, the friend used a duplicate key to perform a medical check on her home and found a note taped to her bedroom door.
A friend then called 911, after which authorities forced entry into the room and found Katherine Hartley Short dead in her bed.
Martin Short’s representative confirmed Katherine Hartley Short’s death in a statement shared with USA TODAY on February 24, saying, “The Short family is devastated by this loss and requests privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought to the world.”
Father of the Bride actor Katherine Hartley Short and his wife Nancy Dolman Short, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010, have sons Oliver, 30, and Henry, 36.
Martin Short talks about his ‘family nightmare’
The “Bill Murder” star opened up about her daughter’s death in an interview on “CBS Sunday Morning” that aired May 10, saying the past few months have been “a nightmare for our family.”
“But, like my wife, there has to be an understanding that mental health and cancer are both illnesses, and in cases of illness, terminal stages,” he told CBS. “And my daughter struggled for a long time with extreme mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder, and did her best until she couldn’t anymore.”
He added that he would like to see more people bring “mental health” out of the shadows so that people are no longer “ashamed” to talk about it. “Instead of hiding behind the word suicide, accept that this may be the final stage of the disease,” he says.
He also talks about the deaths of his older brother, mother, and father, all of which occurred before he was 20 years old.
“Ever since I was a child, I understood that the end of life comes to us all, and for some it comes too soon,” he said. “We have to celebrate what we’ve been through with them and we’re so fortunate. … When I think about them, they just went next door for a while.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org.. The Crisis Text Line also provides free 24/7 confidential support via text message when people in crisis dial 741741.
Contributors: KiMi Robinson and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
