Full Breakdown
Martin Short Discusses Daughter Katherine’s Suicide Ahead of Netflix Documentary
5/11/2026, 9:33:42 PM
The Tragic Loss
In a CBS Sunday Morning interview aired May 10, 2026, Martin Short, 76, revealed that his eldest adopted daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, died by suicide in February. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Hollywood Hills home. Katherine was 42. Some outlets noted a note and a locked bedroom; all agree the death was ruled a suicide.
Family History and Context
Short’s life has been marked by repeated bereavement. He lost his older brother David in a 1962 car crash at age 12, and both parents—Olive and Charles—died before he turned 21. His wife, actress Nancy Dolman, succumbed to ovarian cancer in 2010. The couple adopted three children: Katherine and sons Oliver (40) and Henry (36). Recent months added the deaths of close friends Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and his sister-in-law.
Katherine Short: Education, Career, Advocacy
Katherine earned a BA in psychology and gender-sexuality studies from New York University (2006) and an MSW from USC (2010). She worked as a licensed clinical social worker at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, the Camden Center’s dual-diagnosis program, and in private practice. She also contributed to Amae Health’s community outreach and was active with the nonprofit Bring Change to Mind, founded by Glenn Close to destigmatize mental illness.
Official Statements
Short called the loss “a nightmare for the family” and stressed that mental health disorders, like cancer, are diseases that can become terminal. He recounted his wife’s final words—“Martin, let me go”—and his daughter’s echo—“Dad, let me go.” He said he copes by breathing exercises and dictating thoughts to his phone. Short confirmed that the upcoming Netflix documentary, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, is dedicated to Katherine and to longtime collaborator Catherine O’Hara.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Martin said: "It's been a nightmare for the family.” — Martin Short
- “The understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife’s, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal.” — Martin Short
- “So, Nan’s last words to me were, ‘Martin, let me go.’ And what [Katherine] was just saying [was], ‘Dad, let me go.’” — Martin Short
- “What it developed in me was this muscle of survival and handling grief and a perspective on it.” — Martin Short
Conflicting Details
While all sources agree the death was ruled a suicide, reports differ on the forensic specifics: some cite only the gunshot wound, others mention a note and a locked bedroom discovered by responders. No further official details have been released.
What’s Next
“Marty, Life Is Short” streams on Netflix beginning May 12, 2026, blending archival footage with new interviews that examine Short’s five-decade career and personal resilience. He will return to filming the next season of “Only Murders in the Building” and is exploring a Broadway collaboration with Meryl Streep. Short continues to support Bring Change to Mind, hoping his platform can advance mental-health dialogue.
