Martin Short’s daughter ‘battled mental health for years’ before her death
Katherine Short spoke publicly about living with mental illness and the support she received from her service dog five years before her death – and insiders have told RadarOnline.com she waged a “horrific secret battle” against her inner demons before apparently committing suicide at the age of 42.
Katherine – daughter of comedian and actor Martin Short, 75, and a clinical social worker – was found dead at her home in the Hollywood Hills, California, at around 6pm local time on Monday, February 23, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On her now-deleted professional website, Katherine wrote about her dog, Joni – named after singer Joni Mitchell, saying: “Joni is my incredible service dog, who has helped me over the past five years with my own struggles with mental illness.”
She added: “Joni (named after singer Joni Mitchell) will often be in my office, cuddled on her bed. She is an absolute sweetheart and just LOVES people, so don’t be surprised if she greets you with a smile, a wagging tail… and maybe even a kiss.”
The website also detailed Katherine’s career as a clinical social worker and her private practice.
It listed dozens of areas of specialization, including anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and borderline personality disorders. Before opening her practice, Katherine worked in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient programs supporting veterans, low-income families and foster youth, according to her website.
She graduated from New York University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender-sexuality studies and later earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California.
Katherine was actively involved with the charity Bring Change 2 Mind, whose mission is to erase the stigma around mental health.
A representative for her father, comedian and actor, Martin, confirmed her death, saying: “It is with deep sadness that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss and requests privacy at this time. Katherine was loved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
Katherine was the adopted daughter of Martin and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who died of cancer in 2010. The couple also adopted two sons: Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36.
Although largely out of the spotlight, Katherine attended events with Martin over the years. Their last public appearance together was in 2023, when they celebrated her 40th birthday at Grand Master Recorders in Hollywood.
A source told us: “Katherine’s confession about her dog is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her mental health issues. She has been secretly battling her demons for years, and this is such a sad end to her precious life.”
Her friend Rande Levine, founder of Karma Rescue, a dog charity on whose board Katherine served, said in the aftermath of her shocking death: “She was such an amazing, giving, loving person. I can see her face smiling now. It’s just so devastating to find out she committed suicide. I knew she was struggling with that stuff. But she put her soul into helping others who were going through the same things she was.”
It is said that Katherine regularly went to a mental institution when she was suffering from her crippling lows.
Levine added: “She would say, ‘I won’t be there, I’m leaving.’ She was going to look somewhere to give her a boost again. I knew she was struggling with this. She would talk about it. But you would never know it based on how she presented herself and how funny she was. She was always smiling, she was always a pleasure to be around. Every experience or connection I had with Katherine was always positive. She spoke so softly. She was calm, she laughed a lot.”
