Katherine Short, the daughter of actor Martin Short, has reportedly died by suicide at age 42.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ she was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Hollywood Hills home shortly after 6:40 p.m. Monday.
LAPD and the fire department responded to the scene, though it’s unclear who called 911.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a representative said in a statement to People. “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.”
Katherine, the adopted daughter of Short and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, was born on Dec. 3, 1983. According to her website, she worked as a social worker in Los Angeles after graduating from NYU with a bachelor’s in psychology and earning a master’s degree in social work from USC.
She was also involved with a nonprofit organization called Bring Change to Mind, which aims to “empower young people to build connected, empathetic and supportive school communities where conversations about mental health are welcome and stigma-free.”
Katherine mostly stayed out of the public eye, but appeared at a handful of events with her famous father over the years. They walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2011 and attended a pre-Emmys event in 2021.
Dolman, Short’s wife of 30 years, died from ovarian cancer in 2010. In addition to Katherine, they also shared two other adopted children: Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36.
Martin Short is currently on a comedy tour with Steve Martin. It’s unclear whether dates scheduled for later this week in Milwaukee and Minneapolis will go on as planned.
