Martin Short has spoken publicly about mental health awareness, framing his daughter's struggle as a disease that can be terminal—comparing it to cancer that took his wife Nancy Dolman in 2010. The family continues to ask for privacy while honoring Katherine's memory.
Insiders reveal Martin made the desperate call after going more than 24 hours without hearing from Katherine. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's full autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, details not just this February incident but also a prior suicide attempt in 2017 involving pills—shedding light on a private battle his family had been fighting for years.
Katherine Short died at age 42 on Feb. 23, 2026, found with a Glock 19 9mm pistol by her chest after police forced entry into her locked bedroom. The autopsy report documents a previous suicide attempt in 2017 involving pills and reveals she had documented mental illness including borderline personality disorder.
This isn't just another celebrity tragedy—it's a detailed paper trail of pain that raises serious questions about how long someone can fight before the system fails them.
New details emerging from Katherine Short's tragic death are gut-wrenching in their specificity. The 42-year-old daughter of comedian Martin Short was found dead on February 23, and now the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's autopsy report—obtained by TMZ—reveals exactly what happened in those final, desperate hours. According to the report, Martin Short hadn't heard from his daughter in over 24 hours.
The panic set in. He reached out to a friend, asking them to check on Katherine. That friend went to her home and discovered a note taped to her locked bedroom door—the kind of message that stops you cold.
They called 911 immediately. When police arrived, they forced entry into the bedroom. There they found Katherine's body lying in bed with a Glock 19 9mm pistol positioned by her chest.
It was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The note on the door had warned what they'd find inside. The autopsy report pulls back even more of the curtain on a private battle Katherine had been fighting for years.
She had a documented history of mental illness and depression, and in 2017—nine years before her death—she attempted suicide by taking pills. That previous attempt has now become critical context for understanding what led to February's tragedy. Martin Short addressed his daughter's death publicly for the first time during a May interview with CBS Sunday Morning, calling it a "nightmare" for his family.
His words were measured but devastating: "Mental health and cancer, like my wife's [Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010], are both diseases, and sometimes with diseases they are terminal." 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." The family's representative had previously confirmed Katherine's death to Page Six: "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."
