Martin Short Reveals Why He Isn't Hiding His Grief After Losing Daughter Katherine
Martin Short is opening up about the loss of his daughter Katherine.
During a Sunday, May 10 appearance on CBS News Sunday Morning, the actor revealed why he's sharing his grief journey publicly. Katherine died by suicide at the age of 42 in February.
"If I said to the audience, any audience I was in, 'How many have lost anyone from suicide?' You'd be stunned by the hands that would go [up]. 'How many have mental health in their family?' You'd be stunned by the hands that would go up," Short said. "So, why pretend that this is your own pain? Maybe by sharing your pain, it will help other people's pain."
When asked if sharing his pain helps him, Short replied, "Yes, I think so. I think whenever you realize you're not the only person on the planet that's going through something, I think, we go, 'Oh, really?'"
RELATED: Martin Short Breaks Silence on Daughter Katherine's Death: ‘Nightmare'
At another point in the interview, Short called's Katherine's death "a nightmare."
"It's been a nightmare for the family," he said. "But the understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife's, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal. And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she couldn't until she couldn't."
Katherine, who worked as a social worker in Los Angeles, was the eldest daughter of Short and his late wife, actress Nancy Dolman. Nancy died from ovarian cancer in 2010.
"[Nancy's] last words to me were 'Martin, let me go,'" Short added. "And what [Katherine] was saying was 'Dad, let me go.'"
RELATED:Martin Short's Daughter, Katherine, Dies at 42
According to People, Katherine worked in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker and worked part-time at the clinic Amae Health, providing community outreach, family support groups, peer support and psychotherapy.
She also worked with Glenn Close‘s charity Bring Change 2 Mind, which focuses on reducing stigma around mental health issues.
Throughout the years, Katherine mainly stayed out of the public eye-opting to attend a few events with her father over the years.
Short is set to be featured in the upcoming Netflix documentary film Marty, Life Is Short, premiering on Tuesday, May 12. The documentary is dedicated to both Katherine and actress Catherine O'Hara, Short's longtime friend and occasional co-star who died in January.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, call or text 988 to connect to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 9:49 PM.