Actor Martin Short’s daughter, Katherine, has died at the age of 42, her family announced on Tuesday.
“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. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world,” Katherine’s family said in a statement to People.
Short has been a staple of Hollywood for decades, beginning with roles in sketch comedy, including “Second City Television” and “Saturday Night Live.” The Emmy Award winner, who is Canadian, is well known for his role as Franck Eggelhoffer in “Father of the Bride” (1991) and its sequel.
The actor has co-starred in the Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building” alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez since 2021, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, and a SAG Award.
Katherine was adopted by Martin and his late wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman. Nancy died from ovarian cancer in 2010, as People noted. The couple also shared two other adopted children.
Short’s daughter stayed mostly out of the public eye and was not involved with acting at all. Katherine was a licensed social worker at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital for several years and worked part-time at a clinic doing community outreach. She appeared with her father at several events over the years.
Per TMZ, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call from a Hollywood Hills home at 6:41 p.m. on Monday for a possible suicide. The outlet noted that Katherine reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Short recently posted a tribute to his colleague, Catherine O’Hara, who died from a pulmonary embolism caused by cancer last month.
“Catherine O’Hara, I met when she was 18 years of age, and all these years later, she has been the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel that any of us worked with,” Short said during his “The Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short” comedy show last month. “So God bless Catherine.”
Short and Martin are scheduled to perform at their comedy show for two performances this weekend, and no information on postponements was available as of Tuesday.