The actor said that realizing he’s “not the only person on the planet” experiencing loss helped him process grief.

Martin Short opens up about grief that left him ‘stunned’ after daughter Katherine’s death

The actor said that realizing he's "not the only person on the planet" experiencing loss helped him process grief.

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May 13, 2026 8:54 a.m. ET

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Martin and Katherine Short in 2008. Credit:

Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

- Martin Short has opened up about sharing his grief following the death of his daughter, Katherine.

- The actor said that sharing his grief with others has helped him process.

- Katherine died by suicide in February.

Martin Short has opened up about his experience with grief following the death of his daughter, Katherine Short, by suicide in February at age 42.

In a previously unreleased clip from his recent *CBS Sunday Morning* interview, the 76-year-old actor said that speaking openly about the pain resulting from his daughter's death has helped him through the grieving process.

"If I said to any audience I was in, 'How many have lost anyone from suicide?' You’d be stunned by the hands that go up," Short said during the interview (below), during which he reflected on Katherine's life and death.

Katherine and Martin Short in 2011.

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

"So, why pretend that this is your own pain?" Short continued. "Maybe, by sharing your pain, you will help other people’s pain."

When CBS correspondent Tracy Smith asked if opening up to others helped the *Only Murders in the Building *star cope with his own feelings of grief, the actor briefly paused before explaining his answer.

"Yes, I think so," he replied. "I think, whenever you realize you’re not the only person on the planet that’s going through something, I think you go, 'Oh, really?' You know?"

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At the time of Katherine's death, a representative for the actor expressed Short's "profound grief," with a further statement saying that "the Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time," and "Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world."

Short made his first public appearance since Katharine's death on May 6 at the premiere of his new documentary *Marty, Life Is Short*, which premiered Tuesday on Netflix. The Emmy winner walked the red carpet with his sons, Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36.

Elsewhere in the CBS interview, Short said Katherine's death has "been a nightmare for the family" to process.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.******* "But the understanding [is] that mental health and cancer, like [with] my wife, are both diseases — and sometimes with diseases they are terminal," he said, also referencing the death of his wife, Nancy Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer in 2010.

Watch Short discuss his grief in the video above. *Marty, Life Is Short* is now streaming on Netflix.

*If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at **988lifeline.org** 24/7.*

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