Martin Short experienced tremendous tragedy in his life.
On Monday, authorities found his daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, dead inside her home in the Hollywood Hills, California.
His representative confirmed the social worker’s death in a statement Tuesday.
The death is just the latest in a series of losses for Martin, including his ex-wife Nancy Dolan, his brother David, and his parents Olive and Charles.
Over the years, Martin has opened up about his grief and loss.
“At 20 years old, I knew things about life and death and tragedy and loss that none of my friends knew. I don’t know why it doesn’t ruin me. The only thing I can think of is that this kind of stress in life either empowers you or defeats you.”
“But I think that by continuing to live through it all, I’ve developed the muscle to deal with life’s disappointments,” the actor continued. “And in a weird way, I think it made me braver on stage as a performer. I would try something and if someone didn’t like it, I didn’t care because I didn’t know them. I was never doing this to get admiration from strangers. I was doing this to make my siblings and friends laugh.”
Scroll through to learn more about the actor’s past.
Apparently suicide of daughter Katherine Short
Martin’s daughter, Katherine, was pronounced dead Tuesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was 42 years old.
A representative for the “Murder in the Building” star confirmed her daughter’s death “with deep sadness” in a statement to Page Six.
“The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought to the world.”
Katherine, who worked as a social worker, was found dead by police inside her home in Hollywood Hills, California, around 6pm on Monday.
She was the eldest of Martin’s three children. He was also the father of sons Oliver Patrick and Henry Hayter, all of whom he adopted through adoption with his late wife Nancy Dolan. The two were married for 36 years.
Short has not yet spoken about her daughter’s death.
His wife, Nancy Dolman, died of ovarian cancer.
Martin’s wife, Nancy, passed away in August 2010 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 58 years old.
In 2012, the actor reflected on the deep loss of himself and his children, remembering Nancy as “the right person” for him.
“We’ve been together for 36 years and if we hadn’t found the right person we would have been divorced five times,” Martin told the Guardian.
“I wouldn’t have covered it up or glossed over it just because I didn’t want to get divorced. The last two years have been tough for the kids. This is something we live in denial about in life and it will never happen to us or our loved ones. And when it does, you gain a little and you suffer a little. No big surprises.”
When asked how he coped with her death, the former “SNL” star told how Nancy dealt with her illness in an interview with Larry King published later that year.
“I mean, how does one deal with that? She was brave. Sometimes, denial inspired her. Sometimes, pragmatism also inspired her.”
As for his children, he recalled, each one was at a “different stage.”
“Some people are more proactive about it. Maybe they don’t talk about it. But that doesn’t mean they’re not all grieving.”
In 2014, while promoting his book I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend on The Meredith Vieira Show, he revealed that he honored his late wife’s last wishes by throwing an intimate party to send her off.
“So I just followed her wishes. We went up and had a party with about 30 of our closest friends and family. She was cremated. The kids and I got on a boat, sprinkled the ashes in the water, and jumped into the ashes,” he said at the time.
his younger brother David died in a car accident
When Martin was 12 years old, his younger brother David was killed in a car accident. The comedian is the youngest of five children.
In a 2012 interview with the Guardian, Martin recalled: “I grew up surrounded by tremendous humor at home. We laughed a lot.”
The tragedy he experienced in his youth continued to give him perspective on his own brand of comedy and the brands of those he considered to be his comedian friends.
“I think the reason everything kept me from falling was because I had a solid foundation. Those situations are scary, but I think you’re either empowered by them or you’re a victim of them.”
“I remember talking to my friend, the satirist Stephen Colbert, a few days after the White House Correspondents Dinner, where he really, really pushed his material in front of George W. Bush, which he didn’t think was funny at all,” he recalled in the outlet.
“I said, ‘Weren’t you scared?’ And he said, ‘When I was 12, my father and two brothers died together in a plane crash. That day was scary.’ And when he told me that story, I thought, ‘I get your story.’ ”
his parents died when he was a teenager
Martin’s mother, Olive Hayter, died of cancer when Martin was just 17 years old. His father, Charles Patrick Short, died of a stroke just two years later.
In 2013, the “Father of the Bride” star reflected on his childhood loss in an interview with CNN.
“I think no matter how old you are, loss gives you strength in a weird way, and it certainly does when you’re young,” he said at the time.
“You can go in the direction of saying, ‘I’m going to be a victim. I’m going to get drunk. I’m going to do drugs. But you don’t know what I’ve been through.’ Otherwise, you become more resilient,” he said.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
