Martin Short Opens Up About Daughter Katherine’s Death and Family Grief

Actor and comedian Martin Short has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his daughter, Katherine Short, who died in February at age 42.

Katherine was found dead at her home in the Hollywood Hills on Feb. 23. Two days later, officials confirmed that her death was the result of suicide.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Short said the loss has been extremely painful for his family.

“It’s been a nightmare for the family,” he said. He added that mental illness should be understood like other serious diseases. “Mental health and cancer, like with my wife, are both diseases — and sometimes with diseases they are terminal.”

Short explained that his daughter had struggled with mental health issues for many years, including borderline personality disorder.

“My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health ... and did the best she could, until she couldn’t,” he said.

The actor also connected Katherine’s death to the loss of his wife, Nancy “Nan” Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010. He recalled that his wife’s last words were, “Mart, let me go,” and said he felt his daughter was saying something similar.

Short has faced several personal losses in recent months. During the interview, he spoke about losing close friends and family members within a short period of time.

Despite the grief, Short said he tries to cope by writing down his thoughts. He explained that he records notes on his phone, rewrites them, and saves them as a way to process his emotions.

“You can’t [fully comprehend it],” he said about the losses. “You just have to breathe in, breathe out.”

The interview comes shortly before the release of Marty, Life Is Short, a documentary about his life and career, which premieres May 12.

Short ended the interview by reflecting on life and loss.

“I think we all are in denial about our limited time on this earth,” he said. “The more we approach it with wisdom, probably the happier we’ll be.”