Martin Short Makes First Public Outing Since Daughter Katherine's Tragic Death

Martin Short was spotted getting dinner in Santa Monica on Friday night, weeks after his daughter's death, Daily Mail reports.

The 76-year-old actor – whose daughter Katherine died by suicide in February –sought comfort in close friend JJ Abrams, who accompanied him on the outing, according to the report by Daily Mail.

 

Martin Short looked solemn while dressed in a dark suit jacket and light blue button-up shirt.

The Hollywood veteran was clean shaven as he was spotted out for the first time since the devastating loss of one of his three children.

In addition to Katherine, Short and late wife Nancy Dolman also adopted sons Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36.

Katherine was 42-years-old when she was discovered at her Hollywood Hills home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in late February.

 

Following her death, a representative for Martin Short issued a statement: '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.'

In the wake of her passing, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that Katherine had 'not been heard from in 24 hours' before her friend called police.

She was last seen publicly with her dad while celebrating her 40th birthday at Grand Master Recorders in December 2023.

Katherine was a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree from the University of Southern California.

Short and Dolman were married for 30 years before she died of ovarian cancer in 2010.

Speaking about his wife in a 2019 AARP interview, he described their marriage as a 'triumph.' 

'She died in 2010, but I still communicate with her all the time,' the Father of the Bride star said. 'It’s “Hey, Nan,” you know? How would she react to this decision or that, especially regarding our three kids.'

Martin Short also said that he has never been one of those people who think death means means 'the end.'

'I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them. This idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them – that’s wrong,' he explained.

That’s based on denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, she’s still here.'

In his 2014 memoir I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend, he said Dolman's death is 'by far the most awful thing I've been through.'

And as he supported his children through the grief of losing their mother, Short drew from his own experiences.

Speaking to his youngest child, son Henry, the night before his wife died, he told him: 'This will make you stronger. This will make you more determined.'