EXCLUSIVE: Martin Short's Tortured Daughter 'Secretly Spent Years Battling Mental Health' Before Her Gun Suicide Aged 42
Martin Short's daughter had struggled with her mental health before her tragic end.
Feb. 25 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
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 her apparent suicide aged 42.
Katherine – daughter of comic and actor Martin Short, 75, and a clinical social worker – was found dead at her home in the Hollywood Hills, California, on Monday, February 23, at about 6 pm local time from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Katherine Short wrote about her service dog, Joni, on her professional website before her death.
On her since-deleted professional website, Katherine wrote about her dog, Joni – named after the singer Joni Mitchell, saying: "Joni is my incredible service dog, who has been assisting me with my own struggles with mental illness for the past 5 years."
She added: "Joni (named after singer Joni Mitchell) will often be in the office with me, cuddled up 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.
A Career Dedicated to Erasing Stigma
Katherine Short actively advocated for mental health awareness through the charity Bring Change 2 Mind.
It listed dozens of areas of specialization, including anxiety, psychotic disorders, and borderline personality disorder. Before opening her practice, Katherine worked in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient programmes 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 surrounding mental health.
A representative for her comedian and actor father, Martin, confirmed her death by saying, "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 was the adopted daughter of Martin and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who died from 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 were seen celebrating her 40th birthday at Grand Master Recorders in Hollywood.
A 'Devastating' End
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Martin Short celebrated Katherine’s 40th birthday with her at a Hollywood venue in 2023.
A source told us, "Katherine's admission about her dog is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her mental health battles. She spent years secretly battling her demons, and this is such a sad end to her valuable life."
Her friend Rande Levine, founder of Karma Rescue, a dog charity on whose board Katherine served, said in the wake of her shock passing: "She was such a wonderful, giving, loving human being. I'm picturing her face right now, laughing. It's just so devastating to find out she took her own life. I knew she was battling with that stuff. But she put her soul into helping others that were experiencing the same things she was."
Katherine is said to have regularly checked into an inpatient mental health facility when she was suffering her crippling lows.
Levine added: "She'd say, 'I won't be around, I'm going away.' She'd go check into some place to boost her up again. I knew she was battling with this. She would talk about it. But you would never know based on how she presented herself, and how funny she was. She always was smiling, always a pleasure to be around. Every experience or connection I had with Katherine was always positive. She was so soft spoken. She was calm, she laughed a lot."
