Katherine Short, the eldest daughter of actor and comedian Martin Short, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 42.
Law enforcement sources told U.S. media she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police were called to her home in the Hollywood Hills shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday.
In a statement, a representative for Martin Short said the family was grieving.
«It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,» the statement read. «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 was one of three children adopted by the Only Murders in the Building star and his late wife, actress Nancy Dolman. A social worker based in Los Angeles, she supported mental health advocacy through the charity Bring Change 2 Mind.
She graduated from New York University in 2006 with a degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies before earning a master’s in social work from the University of Southern California. She later worked at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital and subsequently entered private practice.
Dolman died from ovarian cancer in 2010. In previous interviews Martin Short spoke of the impact of that loss on his family, describing it as an intensely difficult period for his children.
He is also father to sons Oliver and Henry. The actor had been scheduled to perform alongside Steve Martin in Minneapolis on Saturday.
