The Tragedy Of Martin Short's Personal Life Just Keeps Getting Sadder

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For a man who has brought smiles to so many faces for decades, beloved actor Martin Short has gone through some very unhappy times in his life. The comedic icon has made people laugh for more than half a century, from his early years on "SCTV" to the more recent and beloved show "Only Murders in the Building." The actor even has fine dramatic chops, as he proved in an episode of "Law & Order: SVU."

Short turned 75 in 2025, but he was young when he first dealt with tragedy, and things have been far from smooth sailing ever since. For his many fans, it may be surprising to find out that someone whose career has brought so much joy could be dealing with so much behind the scenes. As such, Short's life proves that we never really know what someone is going through behind closed doors. 

Nonetheless, the tragedies Short has experienced throughout his life haven't stopped him from finding joy. In 2024, the Emmy winner told The Hollywood Reporter, "All I know is that you only know your own life. At 20, I knew things about life and death and tragedy and loss that none of my friends knew about. I don't know why this didn't screw me up." According to him, "The only thing I can think of is that these kind of life stresses either empower you or defeat you."

Martin Short, who is the youngest of five siblings, was just 12 years old when he was first hit with a life-altering tragedy. At the time, the family was living in Canada when the oldest of his three brothers, David, was killed in a car accident. 

Reflecting on loss in his 2015 book, "I Must Say: My Life As A Humble Comedy Legend," Short wrote, "Something terrible can happen to you, and yet, the day after this something terrible, the sun still rises, and life goes on. And therefore, so must you." Tragically, though, this was only the first devastating death that Short would have to endure in his youth. The star was just 17 years old when his mother, Olive Grace Hayter, died after living with breast cancer for years. Just two years after that, Short lost his father to a stroke.

Martin Short was 22 years old when he met Nancy Dolman while the pair was in a production of "Godspell" together in 1972. The two actors tied the knot eight years later in December 1980. Short and Dolman went on to start a family, adopting three children together — Katherine Elizabeth, Oliver Patrick, and Henry Hayter,. The couple was happily married for 30 years until Dolman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died from the disease in 2010 at 58 years old.

Short was well-acquainted with grief by this point. Of course, this didn't make things any easier. In his aforementioned memoir, the star called losing his wife "by far the most awful thing I've been through." In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Short explained, "It was absolutely horrible, obviously, and as sad as anything, but I will tell you what I said to my kids at the time: 'I believe Mom has zoomed into our souls.'" He continued, referencing a 19th century writer, "George Eliot said, 'Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them.'" He then added, "We were together for 36 years. I didn't want to forget Nancy."

Martin Short experienced the death of a sibling, his parents, and his partner. In 2026, however, a new kind of tragedy struck: the death of a child. On February 23, 2026, Martin's daughter, Katherine Short, died at the age of 42. Katherine was reportedly found dead in her home in the Hollywood Hills as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short," a representative for the family told TMZ. They added, "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 a social worker at both a private practice and the Amae Health clinic. She also worked closely with Bring Change 2 Mind. According to the organization's website, the charity focuses on "eradicating stigma, normalizing mental health conversations, and empowering people to share their stories."

Martin opened up about losing loved ones in a 2012 interview with The Guardian. According to him, "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."

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