Martin Short Opens up About His Daughter’s Tragic Death, Mental Health

Martin Short might be best known for his comedic timing and larger-than-life personality. While he’s had massive career success, his personal life has been rife with tragedy. While Short has dealt with loss and grief before, the death of his daughter, Katherine Short, just months ago, has hit the actor particularly hard. In a recent interview, he opened up about Katherine’s death and discussed his outlook on mental health, his daughter’s struggles, and how his family is coping with the tragic loss.

Katherine Short died by suicide earlier this year

Katherine Short, Martin Short and Nancy Dolman’s daughter, died on February 23, 2026. The 42-year-old social worker was found by a friend inside her Hollywood Hills home after calls and texts went unanswered for a day. Her death was ruled a suicide the same day, and later reports indicated that Katherine left a note behind.

While Martin Short and the late Nancy Dolman were both Hollywood heavy hitters, Katherine seemed to shun the spotlight. She appeared several times on the red carpet with Martin Short, but her professional life was far removed from the public eye. Katherine earned her bachelor’s degree from NYU and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. She worked in the mental health field for more than a decade before her death.

Martin Short opened up about his daughter’s death

Nearly three months after Katherine Short died by suicide, her father sat down with CBS Sunday Morning to discuss the tragedy and how his family is doing. During the Mother’s Day broadcast, The Only Murders in the Building star likened mental illness to cancer, noting that sometimes both are, sadly, terminal. He went on to reveal that Katherine did “the best she could” with extreme mental health issues until she couldn’t any longer. He called moving forward without his daughter a “nightmare” for his family.

Martin went on to reveal that Katherine had battled borderline personality disorder and “other things” for years. He did not elaborate on what those “other” concerns might have been, but borderline personality disorder is recognized as a complex mental health issue that requires specialized expert care.

Martin Short’s wife, Nancy Dolman, died in 2010 from ovarian cancer. Over the years, he’s discussed the loss and how he keeps her alive in his heart.