Martin Short's Family Revealed His Daughter Katherine Short Died at 42 — What Happened to Her?

Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.

Legendary actor Martin Short is seen, most of the time, with a silly or happy smile on his face, and he has talked a bit about his family life over the years. Outside of his long career in TV and movies, he managed to have three kids. On Feb. 23, 2026, his oldest child, daughter Katherine Short, died. Martin's family released a statement about her passing, but what many are wondering is what happened to Katherine Short.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the family shared a statement about Elizabeth not long after the news broke about her unexpected death.

"It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short," the statement said. "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."

TMZ reported that Katherine was found in her Hollywood Hills home by the local police and fire department in the evening on Feb. 23. Per the outlet, Katherine died by suicide. She was reportedly found with a fatal gunshot wound that was self-inflicted. At this time, Martin has not shared a statement about what happened to Katherine.

Katherine was a licensed clinical social worker with her own practice, according to People. She also worked at Amae Health, an outpatient mental health facility in Los Angeles, Calif. Katherine worked with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, too. According to its website, the organization is mental health-focused with a goal of eliminating the stigma about talking about mental health for people of all ages.

Although Katherine reportedly had a personal website that was up before her death, it has since been taken down. Page Six reported that, before it was removed, Katherine had shared a photo of herself with a service dog she kept with her for her own mental health and emotional support.

"Joni is my incredible service dog, who has been assisting me with my own struggles with mental illness for the past five years," Katherine wrote on her website, per the outlet.

She also reportedly wrote that her dog, named Joni Mitchell, was part of her everyday life. Her support dog was often in her office with her and might even greet some of Katherine's patients when they arrived to work with her.

Besides Katherine, Martin has two other adult children, Henry Short and Oliver Patrick Short. According to his LinkedIn, Oliver has worked as a producer for various television sports programs, including Fox Sports and NFL TV Network. Henry's career path took a different turn. Per his LinkedIn profile, Martin's youngest son is a veterinary assistant in Malibu, Calif.

In 2012, Martin appeared on Conan and joked about his kids not entering show business like him.

"None of them wanted to go into show business, and I pushed them," he joked at the time. "I wanted them to go into show business. I make them do laps in the morning, and I go to the balcony with my coffee and say, 'Quitter! Do it again!'"