Katherine Short, daughter of Martin Short, cause of death revealed

Katherine Hartley Short, the eldest daughter of Martin Short and his late wife Nancy Dolman, has died at 42.

Katherine Short’s cause of death

Law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ that Katherine died Monday evening at her home in Hollywood Hills from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. LAPD officers and fire department personal responded shortly after the incident.

In a statement, a representative for Martin Short said, "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." 

Career

Born December 3, 1983, Katherine built a life largely outside if the spotlight. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from NYU in 2006 and later completed a master’s degree in social word at USC in 2010. She worked in Los Angeles as a social worker, including at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital and the Camden Center dual-diagnosis outpatient program. She was also involved with Bring Change to Mind, advocating to reduce stigma around mental health.

She is survived by her brothers, Henry and Oliver.

The loss comes years after Dolman’s death from Ovarian cancer in 2010. Reflecting on that period, Short previously told The Guardian: "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."