Martin Short's Daughter Checked Herself into Treatment Facilities Multiple Times Before her Tragic Suicide aged 42
Martin Short's daughter Katherine checked herself into rehab various times before taking her own life on Monday.
Feb. 25 2026, Updated 7:17 a.m. ET
Martin Short's daughter checked herself into rehab multiple times before her tragic suicide, according to new claims.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Katherine Short had battled mental health issues for some time and sought help from various treatment facilities.
Tragic Katherine 'Loved To Laugh' Despite Mental Health Torment
Katherine had a years-long battle with mental health, but was always 'laughing' says pal.
The 42-year-old, who took her own life on Monday, was a licensed clinical social worker, therapist and charity volunteer, who "loved to laugh" despite a years-long struggle with her mental health.
Her friend Rande Levine, founder of Karma Rescue, a dog charity on whose board Katherine served, told The Daily Mail: "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."
'She Must Have Been In So Much Anguish To Have Done This'
A neighbor claimed Katherine had recently been struggling with a 'physical illness.'
Katherine was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Hollywood Hills home on Monday evening, the LAPD confirmed.
A neighbor said: "Katherine pretty much kept to herself. She had been sick, struggling with some sort of physical illness.
"She must have been in so much anguish to have done this. It's just so sad."
She had lived in the house for six years and according to her friend Levine, Katherine would quite often check into an inpatient mental health facility when she was at a severe low point.
Tragic Katherine 'Would Be Open' About Health Struggles
Katherine, pictured with dad Martin in 2011, would confide in pals about her struggles.
He explained: "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."
Katherine is one of three adopted children of veteran actor Short, 75, and his late wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 of ovarian cancer.
The Short family confirmed Katherine's death Tuesday in a statement, 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."
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Short admitted his wife's death from cancer in 2010 deeply impacted their kids, including Katherine.
Katherine bypassed her famed father's acting career, but supported the comic on red carpets and at talk show tapings. Instead, she attended New York University, where she studied Psychology and Gender Sexuality, graduating in 2006.
She later pursued a Master's at the University of Southern California School of Social Work, which she attained in 2010.
Katherine focused her time by providing family therapy, advocacy, and case management for several disadvantaged groups, including foster youth, low-income families, and political refugees.
Canadian-American actor Short revealed in a 2012 interview that his wife's death hit the kids hard.
He said: "It's been a tough two years for my children."
"This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does you gain a little and you suffer a little. There's no big surprise."
