Martin Short Describes Resemblance of Daughter Katherine Short and Late Wife Nancy Dolman’s Deaths

Martin​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Short Reflects on the Loss of His Wife Nancy Dolman and Daughter Katherine Within 15 Years

Martin Short has shared his thoughts on two of the major heartbreaks that marked his life.
Short has spoken about the death of his eldest daughter Katherine Short who died by suicide at age 42 and how it invoked the memory of his wife who Nancy died of ovarian cancer in 2010.
In his interview with The New York Times (published May 15), the Emmy-winning comedian shared the last words from Nancy to him: “Martin, let me go.”
Short added that even though Nancy and Katherine were dealing with very different issues, their deaths still led to the same devastating pain for ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌him.

Martin Short on His daughter’s Mental Health Struggles

Martin Short also talked about the grief of losing his daughter, Katherine, in an interview with The New York Times. He mentioned that Katherine wanted to surrender to her illness, ‘Dad, let me go.’ The actor said, ‘I don’t see any difference between mental illness as a disease and cancer as a disease. Sometimes, both can be fatal. Yet, there are also instances where both can be cured.’
Short has revealed that even after many years, the pain of losing a child awakens a deep confusion and disbelief in him.
“What’s worse is that it’s your own child who dies,” he confessed. “But I guess, kind of unexpectedly, I have found others who want to go to the light.”
Until now, it has been mainly a joke about death to the comedian. In a previous interview, Short revealed how three of his closest family members died before he was twenty, and since then, grief has been the main theme of his ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌life.

Martin Short Reveals That Katherine ‘Fought for a Long Time’ With Mental Health Issues

Martin Short has opened up about the loss of his daughter, Katherine Short, revealing it was “a nightmare” for his family.

The actor talked with CBS Sunday Morning’s Tracy Smith for an interview that was released on May 10. Among the interview he’s comparing mental illness with physical diseases like cancer, which was the cause of his wife’s demise, Nancy Dolman, in 2010.

“It has been a nightmare for the family, ” Short responded. “On the other hand, the recognition that mental health and cancer, like my wife, are both illnesses and sometimes, unfortunately, with diseases, they are terminal.”

The actor disclosed that Katherine had been struggling with serious mental health issues for a long time, “My daughter struggled for quite a while with very serious mental health problems Borderline personality disorder and other things and she tried to live the best life she could up to the point when she just wasn’t able to anymore.”

Even though he had an idea of how serious her problems were, Short confessed that the sorrow has been barely bearable for the tragedy of losing her and his sons, Oliver and Henry.

Martin Short Says Grandchildren Helped Him Find Hope After Katherine’s Death

Martin Short confessed that the sorrow after his daughter Katherine’s death made him wonder about life.

“I was getting in the car that day,” the actor recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘Okay, I’m 75.'” Why am I going on? Like, really? What’s the point of all this?”

Nonetheless, Short noted that a trip to his son Oliver’s house in Newport Beach, California, opened his eyes. Oliver is there with his wife, Haylen, and their kids.

“I got to Newport, and these two grandsons, five and four, just jumped, ‘Papa, let’s play giant, ‘” Short told. “And with that instant, you realize, ‘That’s why. That’s why.”