Katherine Hartley Short Dies at 42, Family of Martin Short Confirms Tragic Loss
Mental health advocate and daughter of Martin Short remembered for compassion and quiet impact
Los Angeles, February 25: Shortly after midnight, phones across Los Angeles began lighting up with the same message.
KATHERINE HARTLEY SHORT, 42, had died.
At first, it moved through the usual late-night channels, industry texts, social feeds, the kind of half-formed questions that follow any sudden loss. Then came confirmation. TMZ reported it. People matched it. ABC News followed. By Tuesday morning, it was no longera rumor.
The Short family released a statement that was brief and restrained.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” it read. “The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
There are moments when public language feels painfully small. This was one of them.
According to ABC News and TMZ, Katherine was found deceased at her home in the HOLLYWOOD HILLS on February 23. Law enforcement sources told those outlets that investigators believe the death was an apparent suicide. Early information from the LOS ANGELES COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE indicates a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A final report has not yet been issued.
Authorities have offered no additional details. In cases involving suicide, information is often limited, and families frequently choose not to speak beyond an initial statement.
For much of the country, MARTIN SHORT exists as a symbol of buoyant, fast talking comedy. His career stretches back decades, through sketch television, films, and, more recently, a renewed run of live shows with STEVE MARTIN. On stage, he is animated, almost elastic. The laughs come quickly.
Offstage, he is a father who has now endured the loss of a child.
Those who knew Katherine describe a life that unfolded far from Hollywood’s glare. She did not pursue acting. She did not seek the spotlight. Instead, she entered the field of mental health.
Katherine was a LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER. According to People, she worked at UCLA’S RESNICK NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, a respected treatment center that handles complex psychiatric cases. It is work that demands steadiness. Social workers in that setting often assist patients in crisis, people navigating severe depression, trauma, or other serious mental health conditions.
Colleagues in similar roles often speak about the quiet intensity of that environment. The job is not dramatic in a cinematic sense. It is steady. It is patient. It requires listening carefully, day after day.
Katherine later moved into private practice, continuing to work one on one with clients. She was also involved with BRING CHANGE TO MIND, the nonprofit organization co founded by GLENN CLOSE that works to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness.
The mission of that organization is straightforward: encourage honest conversations about mental health. Remove shame. Make it easier for people to ask for help.
There is an undeniable heaviness in reporting that someone who spent her career supporting mental health awareness has died this way. Mental health professionals have long cautioned against simplistic narratives. Training and empathy do not grant immunity from personal struggle. The work itself can be emotionally taxing.
According to the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It affects individuals across income levels, professions, and communities. There is no single explanation that fits every case.
For the Short family, this tragedy follows another profound loss. In 2010, NANCY DOLMAN, Martin Short’s wife and Katherine’s mother, died of ovarian cancer. Dolman had been an actress before stepping away from performing to focus on raising their three children.
In interviews over the years, Short has spoken about how deeply that loss altered his life. Now, he faces another.
Katherine is survived by her father and her brothers, OLIVER and HENRY. The family has asked for privacy and has not issued further statements.
As reported by ABC News, upcoming tour dates for Martin Short and Steve Martin in Milwaukee and Minneapolis have been postponed. New dates have not yet been announced.
In the days following a public death, there is often a rush to make sense of it. People look for patterns. For warning signs. For something that might make the story feel less random.
Mental health experts consistently emphasize that suicide is complex. It often involves layers of emotional, psychological, and personal factors that may not be visible even to those closest to someone. Public speculation rarely captures that complexity.
What remains consistent is the message from advocates: support is available. In the United States and Canada, anyone in crisis can call or text 988 to reach the SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE. The service operates 24 hours a day and is free and confidential.
For now, beyond the official details, there is simply a family grieving.
A father known for filling rooms with laughter is facing a silence no stage performance can touch. Brothers are mourning a sister. Former colleagues are remembering a professional who chose a career centered on helping others steady themselves in difficult moments.
The headlines will eventually fade. What will not fade for those closest to Katherine Hartley Short is the absence she leaves behind.
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Trained in war zones, raised in Newark, and seasoned in city hall, Jordan blends grit reporting with deep integrity. From floods to finance bills, they’re always first on scene and last to leave.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
