The Short family has asked for privacy, a representative for the “Only Murders in the Building” star says.

Martin Short’s daughter Katherine dies at 42, family ‘devastated’ by loss: ‘Katherine was beloved by all’

The Short family has asked for privacy, a representative for the "Only Murders in the Building" star says.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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on February 24, 2026 4:54 p.m. ET

Katherine Short and Martin Short in West Hollywood in 2021. Credit:

Tiffany Rose/Getty

Katherine Short, the eldest daughter of legendary comedian and actor Martin Short, has died at 42.

A representative for the *Only Murders in the Building* star shared a statement confirming the news and mourning his late daughter.

"It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short," the representative tells **. "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."

PEOPLE reports that the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call from a home in the Hollywood Hills around 6:41 p.m. Monday regarding a female approximately 41 years old. A representative for the Los Angeles Police Department told the outlet that the call regarded a possible suicide.

Martin Short and Katherine Short in New York in 2006.

James Devaney/WireImage

Born in 1983, Katherine was the eldest of three children whom Short adopted alongside his wife, Nancy Dolman. Dolman died of ovarian cancer in 2010.

Katherine worked as a licensed clinical social worker at a private practice, and also worked to provide mental health resources and community outreach at the clinic Amae Health.

The *Clifford* star's daughter studied psychology and gender sexuality studies at New York University, graduating with her bachelor's degree in 2006. She later received a master's in social work from the University of Southern California. Prior to her private practice, Katherine worked at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital as well as the dual-diagnosis outpatient program Camden Center.

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Katherine and her siblings never followed their parents into the entertainment industry. Their father jokingly reflected on parenting in a 2019 interview on *Conan*. "I pushed them. I wanted them to go into show business," Martin Short said. "I'd make them do laps in the morning and I kind of go to the balcony with my coffee and [yell] 'Quitter! Do it again!'"

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Martin Short is currently in the middle of a nationwide comedy tour with his longtime friend and collaborator Steve Martin. The duo are next scheduled to perform at Milwaukee's Miller High Life Theatre on Friday.**

In addition to her father, Katherine Short is survived by her brothers, Oliver and Henry.

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