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Martin Short’s daughter Katherine dies at the age of 42
Music News•February 25, 2026 at 7:31 AMNational

Martin Short’s daughter Katherine dies at the age of 42

By Max Pilley•NME Music News

“Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world" The post Martin Short’s daughter Katherine dies at the age of 42 appeared first on NME.

Katherine Hartley Short, the daughter of Martin Short, has died at the age of 42.

The news was confirmed on Tuesday (February 24) in a statement from the family, who wrote: “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,” the statement added.

TMZ have reported that she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in her home in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles at around 6pm on Monday (February 23).

Katherine Short was the eldest of three children adopted by the Only Murders In The Building star and his wife Nancy Dolman, and she worked as a social worker in Los Angeles, particularly with the Bring Change 2 Mind charity, which advocates for mental health causes.

She graduated from New York University in 2006 with a degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies and later earned a masters in social work at the University of Southern California.

Dolman passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010. In 2012, Martin Short told The Guardian: “It’s been a tough two years for my children. 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.”

Martin Short, 75, is an Emmy and Tony-winning Canadian comic actor who broke through on SCTV and Saturday Night Live in the early ‘80s, and went on to star in films such as Three Amigos, Father Of The Bride and Mars Attacks. In recent years, he has found success with Only Murders In The Building, in which he co-stars with his longtime friend Steve Martin.

Short is also father to sons Oliver and Henry, and he had been scheduled to perform a show with Martin in Minneapolis on Saturday (February 28).

The post Martin Short’s daughter Katherine dies at the age of 42 appeared first on NME.

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