Tragedy has struck comedian Martin Short with the sudden death of his eldest daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, at age 42. Authorities confirmed she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in her Hollywood Hills home on February 23, 2026. The family is asking for privacy during this devastating time.
Oh, Hollywood, just when we thought the laughs were endless with Martin Short, life threw a curveball no one saw coming. Katherine Hartley Short, the 42-year-old adopted daughter of the Only Murders in the Building star, was found dead in her Hollywood Hills home around 6:41 p.m. on February 23, 2026. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed it as a suicide, with TMZ breaking the news first. A 911 call audio revealed the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, and first responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a deceased female at the scene, per a spokesperson to Page Six.
Katherine, a licensed clinical social worker who kept her life low-key away from her dad's spotlight, had opened up about her own battles with mental illness on her now-deleted professional website. “Joni is my incredible service dog, who has been assisting me with my own struggles with mental illness for the past 5 years,” she wrote, naming the pup after Joni Mitchell. She specialized in areas like anxiety, psychotic disorders, and borderline personality disorder, working with veterans, low-income families, and foster youth before her private practice and part-time gig at Amae Health clinic. A New York University grad with a 2006 bachelor's in psychology and gender sexuality studies, she later earned a master's in social work from USC.
The Short family issued a heartbreaking statement: “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. 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,” shared with USA Today, Page Six, and PEOPLE. She leaves behind brothers Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36—also adopted by Martin and his late wife Nancy Dolman, who passed from ovarian cancer in 2010 after 36 years of marriage.
Martin, no stranger to loss after his brother David's car accident at age 12, mother Olive's cancer at 17, and father's stroke at 19, has postponed tour dates for his Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short shows. Milwaukee on February 27 and Minneapolis on February 28 are off, with tickets honored for reschedules—the next is DC on March 13. Katherine occasionally joined her dad at events, like her 40th birthday bash in 2023 at Grand Master Recorders. It's unclear if she was married or had kids, as she stayed private.
In a world that feels a bit dimmer, Martin's past words on resilience echo: “These kind of life stresses either empower you or defeat you.” Heartbreakingly true—but will the Shorts find that strength now? 💔
