Martin Short has opened up about the tragic suicide of his daughter Katherine Hartley Short at 42 less than three months ago, saying her loss has 'been a nightmare' for all who loved her while sharing a poignant message about mental health.
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Martin Short Speaks Out on Daughter’s Tragic Death
Martin Short has opened up about the tragic suicide of his daughter Katherine Hartley Short at 42 less than three months ago, saying her loss has 'been a nightm...
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Katherine died in February from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities with the Police Department confirmed in February.
Short, 76, spoke with CBS Sunday Mornings about the family tragedy, comparing her battle with mental health to that of the 2010 , who passed away from .
'The understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like my wife's, are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal,' said the star of Father of the Bride, Three Amigos! and Only Murders in the Building.
He continued: 'My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn't.'
Short said his aim was to support a mental health awareness organization founded by called Bringchange2mind.
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He said the nonprofit aims to take 'mental health out of the shadows' and conduct frank discussions on the important topics at hand.
Short shared a moving message that touched on how he hopes struggles with mental health can be understood.
'Not being ashamed of it, not hiding from the word suicide, but accepting that this can be the last stage of an illness - and that’s my approach to this,' he said.
Martin Short, 76, publicly addressed the 'nightmare' death of his daughter Katherine for the first time during an appearance on CBS Sunday Mornings
The Canadian-born actor and comedian detailed how he had been faced with tragedy while growing up and how it had affected him.
Katherine was 42 when she took her own life in February and had battled mental health issues for many years. Pictured with dad Martin in 2011
Short told the morning show that Katherine 'did the best she could until she couldn't' and that she had an illness that resulted in her early death
Katherine was one of three children whom Short and his wife Nancy adopted during their long marriage.
Katherine was a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree from the University of Southern California.
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Her loss 'devastated' the actor and her brothers Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36, a representative for the family said in February following the announcement of her death.
But his experience with bereavement gave Short a poignant perspective on his daughter's decision to end her life.
When his wife Nancy was dying from ovarian cancer in 2010 at the age of 58, her last words to him, he said, were 'Marty let me go.'
He told CBS Sunday Mornings that to his mind, his daughter Katherine was just in her own way saying: 'Dad, let me go.'
The Canadian-born actor and comedian lost his older brother when he was 12 and his parents when he was a teenager, and he spoke about how those early tragedies had affected him.
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Katherine was one of three children adopted by Short and his wife Nancy Dolman during their 30-year marriage. She's pictured right with her parents and brother Oliver Patrick in 1989
Short's wife of 30 years Nancy Dolman died from ovarian cancer in 2010 and his close friend of 50 years Catherine O'Hara passed away in January
Short's reflection on his life and career is captured in director Lawrence Kasdan's Netflix documentary Marty: Life Is Short which premieres on Netflix this Tuesday May 12
His daughter's passing came just weeks after the death of his friend and collaborator of five decades Catherine O'Hara, and two months after the murders of his close friends Rob and Michele Reiner.
