Martin Short Breaks Silence After Daughter's Suicide
Short, 76, discussed daughter Katherine's Feb. 23 death at 42 and urged removing stigma from mental illness; a documentary about his life premieres May 12.
FOX NewsMartin Short breaks silence on daughter Katherine’s death: ‘It’s been a nightmare’
The GuardianMartin Short opens up about ‘nightmare’ death of his daughter Katherine
Rolling StoneMartin Short Opens Up About Daughter's Death in New Interview: 'It's Been a Nightmare'
Daily BeastComedy Icon Gets Candid About Tragic Loss of Daughter
Overview
Martin Short, 76, said on May 10 that his daughter Katherine's death has been "a nightmare for the family" and urged openness about mental health.
Katherine Hartley Short died on Feb. 23 at age 42, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed the cause as a gunshot wound to the head and ruled it a suicide.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call in February and police reported it was about a possible suicide, and a family representative confirmed her passing and asked for privacy.
Katherine was the eldest of three children Short adopted with his late wife Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 at 58; Katherine held a BA from NYU (2006) and an MSW from USC (2010).
Short postponed tour dates with longtime collaborator Steve Martin, and a documentary about his life premieres May 12; Short said he wants to remove stigma around mental illness.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story compassionately, emphasizing destigmatizing mental illness and family grief through editorial choices: leading with Short’s emotional quotes (“did the best she could…,” “nightmare”), highlighting the family’s “profound grief,” and including a suicide hotline. Those quoted lines are source content; selection, emphasis, and placement form the framing.