HOLLYWOOD HILLS — Actor and comedian Martin Short spoke publicly for the first time about the death of his daughter Katherine Short in an interview on CBS News Sunday Morning. Katherine Hartley Short died on Feb. 23, 2026, at age 42 at her home in the Hollywood Hills.

The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office confirmed that she died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a shooting at the Hollywood Hills address around 6:40 p.m., and law enforcement officials found a suicide note at the home.

In the interview, Short compared his daughter's death with that of his wife, Nancy Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010 at age 58. "And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could, until she couldn't." Short said the losses had reshaped his perspective: "I think if you've gone through that, an audience not liking you is really not that important any more."

He said the experience also motivated him to speak openly. "I had a deep desire to take mental health out of the shadows so people wouldn't be ashamed of talking about it. Not hiding from the word suicide, but accepting that this can be the last stage of an illness." Short added: "It's staggering."

Katherine Short was the eldest of three children adopted by Short and Dolman, with two brothers, Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from New York University in 2006 and a master's in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010.

She worked at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital before moving into private practice as a licensed clinical social worker, and worked with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, which focuses on reducing stigma around mental illness. She had a service dog named after the singer Joni Mitchell to assist with her mental illness. She sometimes attended events and walked red carpets with her father.

A spokesperson for the family said at the time of her death: "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."

Short spoke to CBS ahead of a Netflix documentary about his life, titled Marty, Life Is Short, which premiered on May 12. Short's personal history with loss extends further: when he was 12, his older brother David was killed in a car accident, and both of his parents died while he was still a teenager.