Katherine Hartley Short, the daughter of Canadian comedian and actor Martin Short, has died at the age of 42, a family representative confirmed to CTV News.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” the representative said in a statement. “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.”
Martin Short also shared a statement on social media expressing his family’s sorrow.
“There are no words for the depth of this loss,” he wrote. “Our family is devastated, and we ask for privacy as we grieve this unimaginable heartbreak. Katherine was the light of our lives, full of warmth, kindness, and a joy that touched everyone she met. That light will never fade in our hearts. Forever loved. Forever our daughter.”
Katherine was one of three children adopted by Martin Short and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 at the age of 58 after battling ovarian cancer. The couple also adopted sons Oliver and Henry.
In his 2014 memoir, “I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend,” Short reflected on the loss of his wife, calling it “the most awful thing I’ve been through,” while crediting his children with giving him strength to carry on.
“Whatever we think it’s going to be, the sun will come up and you have to eat lunch,” he wrote. “It’s just life. We are all going to perish. I think we all naturally, understandably, live in denial of that.”
