Martin Short is speaking publicly for the first time about the devastating loss of his daughter Katherine, describing the months since her suicide as \u201ca nightmare\u201d for the entire family.<\/p>\n
In a May 10 interview with CBS, the 76-year-old Only Murders in the Building star reflected on grief, loss and the painful reality that tragedy has followed him through much of his life.<\/p>\n
The candid conversation arrived just before the release of Marty, Life is Short, a deeply personal Netflix documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of the Canadian comedian\u2019s decades-long career through home videos, private moments and never-before-seen archive footage.<\/p>\n
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, the film carries special meaning for Short. Along with honoring Katherine\u2019s memory, the documentary is also dedicated to actor Catherine O\u2019Hara, one of his closest friends, who died just weeks before his daughter.<\/p>\n
Lifelong grief
\nEven long before Katherine\u2019s death, loss had already shaped Short in profound ways. By the time he was 20 years old, the actor had already lost both of his parents, along with his older brother David, who died in a car crash.<\/p>\n
Looking back, Short explained that those early tragedies forced him to develop emotional resilience at a young age.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat it developed in me is this muscle of survival and handling grief and a perspective on it and it stayed with me,\u201d he told CBS.<\/p>\n
That perspective, he said, stayed with him as more heartbreak followed later in life. In 2010, Short lost his wife Nancy Dolman to ovarian cancer after nearly 30 years of marriage.<\/p>\n
According to People, the couple had adopted three children together, Oliver, 40; Henry, 36 and Katherine, 42.<\/p>\n
Evolving grief
\nThrough the years, Short explained that his understanding of grief has evolved over time, shaped by decades of personal tragedy and the difficult acceptance that life eventually ends for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had an understanding from my childhood that the end of life was going to happen to all of us,\u201d Short told CBS.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging that some losses come far too soon, he also reflected on the comfort he finds in keeping loved ones emotionally close even after they are gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve just gone into the next room for a while, (and eventually) you\u2019ll be in that room,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n
\u2018Dad, let me go\u2019
\nBut it was when Short spoke about Katherine that the interview became especially emotional.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a nightmare for the family,\u201d the Father of the Bride star said, revealing that his daughter had spent years battling borderline personality disorder along with other serious mental health struggles before her death on Feb. 23, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife\u2019s, 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\u2019t until she couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, Nan\u2019s last words to me were, \u2018Martin, let me go.\u2019 And what she was just saying [was], \u2018Dad, let me go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Taking mental health out of the shadows\u2019
\nThe tragedy has since inspired Short to become involved with \u201cBring Change to Mind,\u201d a nonprofit organization co-founded by actor Glenn Close that focuses on reducing stigma surrounding mental illness.<\/p>\n
Short said he felt a \u201cdeep desire\u201d to support the group and help encourage more open conversations surrounding mental health and suicide.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s taking mental health out of the shadows, not being ashamed of it, not hiding from the word suicide, but accepting that this can be the last stage of an illness,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Despite carrying decades of grief, Short also revealed that he has never relied on therapy, instead turning to his own personal coping methods to process pain privately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just have to breathe in, breathe out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I do is I dictate into my phone and I transcribe it. And I look at it and rewrite it and put it away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Limited time\u2019 on Earth
\nAs the interview came to a close, Short reflected on mortality and the difficult reality every family eventually faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we are all in denial about our limited time on this Earth. It\u2019s very difficult to accept it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you accept it, I think, it does lift you and make you feel that this is a complicated little journey, life. And the more we approach it with wisdom, probably the happier we\u2019ll be.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the U.S. and Canada, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24\/7.<\/p>\n
What do you think of Martin Short and the incredible career he\u2019s built despite enduring so much personal tragedy throughout his life? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can hear from others!<\/p>\n
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