Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of mental illness, suicide, and self-harm.
Katherine Short, daughter of Only Murders in the Building star and comedian Martin Short, has die. The 42-year-old was the eldest of three children adopted by the actor and his wife, the late actress Nancy Dolman.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and police arrived at her home in the Hollywood Hills after 6pm on Monday, February 23 (local time).
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” Martin Short’s representative said in a statement. “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.”
Katherine’s fight for mental health
Katherine was adopted by Martin and his late wife in 1983 and has two younger siblings, Oliver and Henry.
She was a social worker in Los Angeles and also worked with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, which advocated for fighting against and destabilising mental health stigmas.
After graduating from New York University in 2006 with a bachelor’s in psychology and gender sexuality studies, Katherine then completed her masters in social work at the University of Southern California in 2010.
According to People, she worked at University of California’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital before going into private practice.
She also worked part-time at Amae Health, engaging in community outreach, family support groups, psychotherapy and peer support, showing her dedication to her profession and care for her community.
Katherine’s late mother’s battle with cancer
Nancy Dolman, Martin Short’s late wife, died of ovarian cancer in 2010.
In an interview with the Guardian at the time, the actor spoke of how difficult his wife’s passing was for his family.
“It’s been a tough two years for my children,” he said. “This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does you gain a little and you suffer a little. There’s no big surprise.”
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