Katherine Short, the cherished only daughter of iconic comedian Martin Short, has been cremated, her death certificate reveals. TMZ published a photo of the certificate on March 3, which they obtained from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Short died of an apparent suicide at age 42.
A previous February 27 report revealed that a note was found at the scene of Katherine’s death, and more details of the scene.
The certificate lists her official cause of death as “gunshot wound of head,” and her occupation as “social work therapist.” Her name on the certificate in listed as “Katherine Elizabeth Hartley.” TMZ’s report says she changed her name in 2013 to avoid harassment from social work clients.
Martin Short Previously Discussed His 3 Kids With Conan O’Brien
Katherine is survived by her two brothers, Oliver and Patrick, who are in their late 30s. Six years ago, Martin Short discussed his his kids’ paths in a “Conan” appearance. When asked whether he worried about his kids getting involved in showbiz, he replied that while Oliver was working as a senior associate producer at NBC Sports, the others chose alternate fields. He said Katherine was a therapist, and Patrick was in wealth management. He added, “None of them wanted to go to show business.”
The “Only Murders in the Building” star went on, “I want them to be tough and grow up on their own.”
Martin Short Skipped Actor Awards After Losing His Daughter, But ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Production Remains on Schedule
TMZ’s March 3 report about the release of Katherine’s death certificate states her famous father has reportedly been “inconsolable” after losing her, leading to a retreat from the public eye. He, along with his “Murders in the Building” castmates, skipped the 2026 Actor Awards, where he was nominated for Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series. The award went to Seth Rogen for Apple TV+’s “The Studio.”
Short also cancelled several appearances on his comedy tour with Steve Martin, postponing all the remaining February dates. The tour’s official website says the next show is scheduled for March 13.
Despite Short’s reported grief and step back from work, The Daily Mail says filming of “Only Murders In the Building,” in which Short stars with Martin and Selena Gomez, will go on as planned.
The outlet explains the upcoming season, which is set in London, is not scheduled to begin shooting “for another couple months,” meaning production was not affected by Short’s break after the tragedy, they say they learned from an insider.
