{"id":49495,"date":"2026-03-02T10:47:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=49495"},"modified":"2026-03-02T10:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:47:28","slug":"martin-shorts-daughter-katherine-dies-at-42","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/03\/martin-shorts-daughter-katherine-dies-at-42.html","title":{"rendered":"Martin Short’s Daughter Katherine Dies at 42"},"content":{"rendered":"

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DFree \/ Shutterstock.com | Inset: Featureflash Photo Agency \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Katherine Hartley Short,\u00a0Martin Short’s e<\/a>ldest daughter<\/a>, has died. She was 42.<\/p>\n

Short’s representative confirmed the news to USA TODAY in a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 24, asking for privacy for the family.<\/p>\n

“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” the statement read.<\/p>\n

“The Short family is devastated by this loss, and asks for privacy at this time,” the statement continued. “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”<\/p>\n

TMZ<\/a>\u00a0was first to report the news.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the licensed clinical social worker’s\u00a0manner of death<\/a>\u00a0was determined to be suicide, according to the department’s website. The case remains open.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told USA TODAY on Feb. 24 that around 6:41 p.m. on Feb. 23, personnel “responded to a reported shooting” at a Hollywood Hills address associated with Hartley Short and identified an “approximately 41-year-old female” who was dead.<\/p>\n

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY that officers responded to “a radio call of a possible suicide attempt” on Hartley Short’s block around 6:43 p.m. on Feb. 23 and “found a deceased female at the location.”<\/p>\n

Short’s daughter graduated from New York University in 2006 and obtained her master’s degree from the University of Southern California School of Social Work in 2010. She was a licensed clinical social worker operating a private practice in Los Angeles and specialized in adoption, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, grief and loss, suicidality, and relationship difficulties.<\/p>\n

While studying for her Master of Social Work, Hartley Short led group and individual therapy sessions for veterans diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Afterward, she worked at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital for four years.<\/p>\n

Her mother, Short’s late wife Nancy Dolman Short, died in August 2010 following a battle with ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n

Speaking on “Conan” in 2019,\u00a0Short revealed<\/a>\u00a0none of his children wanted to go into show business though “I pushed them. I wanted them to go into show business.”<\/p>\n

Short and Dolman Short also had two sons, Oliver Patrick and Henry Hayter. They welcomed all three of their children via adoption.<\/p>\n

Article written by KiMi Robinson and originally appeared at USAToday.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Katherine Hartley Short,\u00a0Martin Short’s eldest daughter, has died. She was 42. Short’s representative confirmed the news to USA TODAY in a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 24, asking for privacy for the family. “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” the statement read. “The Short family is devastated by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":630,"featured_media":49498,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nMartin Short's Daughter Katherine Dies at 42<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Martin Short's family is grieving after the actor's eldest daughter, Katherine Hartley Short, died at age 42.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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