Celebrity

Short agreed to doco release after daughter’s death

Aug 25, 2026

Martin Short says he's heard from viewers who appreciated seeing him navigate through his losses. (AP PHOTO)

Martin Short wanted the release of a documentary about him to go ahead to shine a spotlight on his late daughter struggles with mental illness.

Martin Short wants the release of his documentary to go ahead to shine a spotlight on late daughter Katherine’s “terminal” struggles with mental health issues.

The Only Murders in the Building is the subject of Lawrence Kasdan’s Netflix special Marty, Life Is Short and after his daughter took her own life in February at age 42, the director asked if he wanted the film to be delayed out of respect for Katherine, but Short was keen to still go ahead with the planned May release.

Short, whose wife Nancy died in 2010 after a battle with ovarian cancer, told Variety: “We met at his home a few weeks after, and he said, ‘Netflix will do whatever you want and I will do whatever you want.’

“And I thought, this really could be called ‘Love, Loss and Survival’. As I’ve said in the past, my daughter had mental health struggles. And it’s a disease.

“Some diseases are terminal, whether they’re cancer or mental health. And so, I said, ‘I think we should proceed.’ And he said, ‘I think we should too’.”

Since the film premiered, Short noted he had heard from many viewers who said they appreciated watching how he had navigated through the losses he experienced.

Marty, Life Is Short, is nominated for three Emmy Awards, while Short himself is up for lead actor in a comedy series for Only Murders in the Building, and outstanding host for a game show for Match Game.

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Also check out Martin Short Keeps Late Wife’s Memory Alive