Katherine Hartley Short, the 42-year-old daughter of comedian Martin Short, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ and released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday.
The document confirms what had been reported in the days following her Feb. 23 death at her Hollywood Hills home. Katherine, a social worker, was reportedly found behind a locked bedroom door with a note and a gun nearby. Her body was discovered after a close friend called authorities, having not heard from her in 24 hours.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported shooting at Katherine's Hollywood Hills address at approximately 6:41 p.m. and confirmed that the death of a female had been reported.
According to the outlet, Katherine has been cremated.
Martin Short and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, adopted Katherine in 1982, as Page Six reported. The couple also adopted two sons, Oliver Patrick, now 39, and Henry Hayter, now 36. Dolman died from cancer in 2010 at the age of 58.
Katherine legally changed her name to Katherine Hartley in 2012. It was reported that she had picked up a service dog in the years leading up to her death to assist with her mental illness.
A neighbor described Katherine to Us Weekly in warm terms:
"Katherine was a private person, but that doesn't mean she wasn't friendly."
The neighbor added that she was "quite outgoing."
The "Only Murders in the Building" star has kept a low profile since his daughter's passing. A representative for Short confirmed the news to Page Six:
"It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short."
The family's statement asked for privacy and remembered Katherine for "the light and joy she brought into the world."
Short postponed a series of comedy shows with Steve Martin in the wake of Katherine's death. He was also absent from the SAG Actor Awards 2026 on Sunday night.
There is no political angle here. No policy debate to be won. Sometimes a story simply asks us to sit with the gravity of what happened.
A father lost his daughter. A family that had already buried a wife and mother now carries another loss that no amount of fame or success can soften. Mental illness claimed a young woman who, by all accounts, was trying to get help. She had a service dog. She had a career helping others as a social worker. She had people who loved her.
None of it was enough, and that is the cruelest truth about the crisis of mental health in this country. It does not care about your family name, your support system, or your zip code. It finds people in Hollywood Hills homes and rural towns alike.
Katherine Hartley Short was 42 years old. She deserved more time.
