With heavy hearts, we share the heartbreaking news of this Hollywood star’s daughter… How she died breaks our hearts

Raised in a household that balanced the extraordinary demands of Hollywood with the ordinary joys of family, Katherine was adopted by Martin Short and his late wife, Nancy Dolman, along with her brothers. The family had already weathered immense loss: Nancy’s death from ovarian cancer in 2010 left Katherine with the raw, searing pain of losing a mother, and a father forced to navigate single parenthood in the public eye. Now, the family faces an unbearable second blow. Katherine, who had spent her life offering solace and guidance, who had devoted herself to lifting others from despair, had succumbed to a darkness no one could reach in time.

In remembering Katherine, those closest to her speak not of fame, but of substance. Friends describe her as quietly fierce: someone whose presence could immediately make another person feel safe, seen, and valued. Colleagues recount hours spent on the phone with distressed clients who felt unheard by the world, only to find themselves listened to by Katherine with patience and wisdom that seemed almost inexhaustible. She had a gift for connecting to the pain of others without becoming consumed by it—a rare skill that left an indelible mark on countless lives.