Martin Short has emotionally spoken of the sudden death of his daughter Catherine.
“It’s been a nightmare for my family,” the Bill Murder star told CBS Sunday Morning.
“But the understanding is that mental health and cancer, like my wife, are both illnesses, and in some cases terminal,” he added, referring to his late wife Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010.
“And my daughter, who struggled for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder and other illnesses, did her best until she couldn’t anymore,” added Short, 76.
Catherine tragically passed away on February 23rd at the age of 42.
“It is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a spokesperson for Short told Page Six on February 24.
“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 was found dead in her Los Angeles home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Los Angeles Fire Department told Page Six they responded to a shooting at an address in the Hollywood Hills around 6:40 p.m.
According to TMZ, law enforcement found the suicide note, but it’s unclear what was written there.
In addition to Katherine, Short also had two sons, Oliver Patrick, 40, and Henry Hayter, 36, with Dolman.
The social worker had a service dog named after singer Joni Mitchell to help with “mental illness.”
Neighbors described her as friendly but noted that she kept to herself mostly.
Short is no stranger to family tragedy. Her older brother David died in a car accident when she was 12 years old, and then her mother died of cancer when she was 17 years old. His father died from complications of a stroke just two years later.
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.
