42-year-old Katherine Elizabeth Short, daughter of the famous Martin Short, at her home in , in an incident that, according to police, appears to be .
The tragedy that struck the family
“It is with deep sorrow that we confirm the death of Katherine Hartley Short,” a family spokesman said. “The Short family is devastated and requests privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought to the world.”
The circumstances of the 42-year-old woman’s death
As reported by TMZ, which first revealed the news, the 42-year-old was found dead on Monday afternoon, around 18:00.
A source from the authorities told the Los Angeles Times that the death of the social worker was attributed to suicide. Katherine was located at her home in Hollywood following a check-up request from a concerned friend who had not been contacted for more than 24 hours.
Authorities found a note on the door and her inside the house, unconscious.
Cancellation of performances
Martin Short, with his longtime friend and “Only Murders in the Building” co-star Steve Martin, is currently on tour. Their next show was scheduled for Friday, in Milwaukee, but after the tragedy that struck the Short family, they were forced to cancel it, as well as the one on February 28.
The next scheduled stop on their tour remains March 13, in Washington.
Family and loss
Katherine was one of three children Short had adopted with his wife, Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010, aged 58, of ovarian cancer.
She has remained largely out of the public eye, although she has occasionally accompanied her father to official events and the red carpet.
In 2006, she received a BA in Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies from New York University (NYU) and in 2010 she completed a Masters in Social Work at the University of Southern California (USC). She then worked as a licensed clinical social worker in private practice.
According to People, she also provided support and psychotherapy services at a clinic, and was actively involved in the youth mental health charity Bring Change 2 Mind.
Her mother met Martin Short in 1972, in the production of the musical ‘Godspell’. They married in 1980 and had Catherine and her two younger brothers, Henry and Oliver through adoption.
In an interview with the Guardian in 2012, Short described the years following Dolman’s death as “difficult”.
