The final moments before help arrived at Katherine Short’s Hollywood Hills home are no longer just a private memory. They now live in the raw 911 audio tied to the death of Martin Short’s eldest daughter, a recording that has spilled a family’s worst night into the public square.
TLDR
Newly published 911 audio captures first responders being told that Katherine Short’s fatal injury appeared self-inflicted, while statements from Martin Short’s camp and Katherine’s own past words reveal a tight-knit family and an ongoing battle with mental health.
A Call No Parent Forgets
According to Page Six, the emergency call, first shared in audio by the Daily Mail, features a male Los Angeles Fire Department dispatcher relaying grim information to crews heading to Katherine’s address. On the line, he confirms that her wound appeared to be self-inflicted. The caller, he adds, was with Katherine but unable to get into her bedroom inside the Hollywood Hills home.
Page Six reports that LAFD units were dispatched to the residence in the evening, and that a department representative later stated that “death was reported of a female.” The agency did not immediately expand on the circumstances surrounding the call.
For the public, the audio is another data point in a story already weighted with sorrow. For the Short family, it represents something more intimate. A moment of panic, fear, and helplessness, preserved and replayed far from the quiet space where loved ones are mourning a 42-year-old woman who, until recently, was known only as a social worker, a daughter, and a sister.
Katherine’s Life in the Spotlight’s Shadow
Katherine Elizabeth Short grew up in a Hollywood family that seemed unusually grounded. She was the adopted daughter of Martin Short and his wife, Canadian comedian and actress Nancy Dolman. The couple also adopted sons Oliver Patrick and Henry Hayter, and the four were often photographed together at premieres, awards parties, and Broadway openings.
Dolman died of cancer in 2010, a loss Martin has previously described as life-altering. In the years that followed, Katherine built her own quiet life in Los Angeles, working in social services while remaining deeply connected to her family. Photos from events like the Vanity Fair Oscar Party showed her at her father’s side, framed by flashbulbs but far from the entertainment industry’s career machinery.
Behind that polished red-carpet surface, Katherine confronted mental health challenges that she chose to name publicly. Page Six notes that on a now-deleted professional website, she introduced a service dog she called Joni, a tribute to singer Joni Mitchell. “Joni is my incredible service dog, who has been assisting me with my own struggles with mental illness for the past 5 years,” she wrote, offering a rare, candid glimpse into a private battle.
A Family Facing the Unthinkable
News of Katherine’s death arrived through official channels, then through the television work that has defined her father’s recent career. A representative for the “Only Murders in the Building” star confirmed her passing with “profound grief,” then issued a statement that reframed the tragedy as one of love and remembrance.
“The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world,” the message read, as quoted by Page Six. The words echo a narrative that has followed Martin Short for decades, that of a performer whose professional exuberance is underpinned by fierce loyalty to his family.
In the wake of the 911 audio release, the public is left balancing curiosity with compassion, as a beloved comedian and his two surviving children absorb another seismic loss. What endures in the official statements and preserved fragments of Katherine’s own writing is not the sound of sirens, but a picture of a woman remembered for light, joy, and a hard-fought openness about mental health.
Resources remain available for anyone affected by similar struggles. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential support by calling or texting 988, as outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Join the Discussion
How do you feel about emergency calls connected to celebrity tragedies being released to the public, and where do you think the line should be between transparency and a grieving family’s privacy?
