Martin Short’s Daughter Dies at 42

An autopsy report has revealed new details into the death of Martin Short’s daughter, Katherine Short.

The report, filed in the wake of Katherine’s February 23 death and obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 26, stated that Martin, 76, phoned a friend of Katherine’s to request he “check on her welfare” after the actor failed to hear from his daughter in “over 24 hours.”

Per the report, “multiple notes were located at the scene believed to have been left by” Katherine, which she “posted on the door,” and later discovered by the friend, causing him to phone 911.

The Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner’s summary also reported that Katherine “had a history of depression and other mental health illnesses” for many years. The summary noted that at the time of her death, Katherine tested positive for benzodiazepines, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a class of prescription medication “that slow down activity in your brain and nervous system.”

Katherine’s death was ruled a suicide. She was 42 years old.

A representative for Martin, who shared Katherine with his late wife, Nancy Dolman, shared a statement with Us confirming his daughter’s death in February. “It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time,” the statement read. “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”

Martin broke his silence on the news during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on May 10, telling the outlet that his family have experienced a “nightmare.” The interview also touched on Dolman’s 2010 death at the age of 58 following a battle with ovarian cancer.

“The understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife’s, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal,” Martin said. “My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, [and] other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t.”

Martin also told The New York Times, in an article published five days later, that he saw a parallel between his late wife and late daughter’s deaths, revealing that Dolman had asked him, “Martin, let me go,” just prior to her death.

“Katherine was saying: ‘Dad, let me go,’” he said comparatively. “I don’t see any difference between mental illness as a disease and cancer as a disease. In some cases, both are terminal. And in some cases, both are survivable.”

The actor, who also shared sons Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36, with Dolman, told the New York Times that losing his child was different from losing his wife. “This is your child,” he told the outlet. “I am trying to head toward the light.”