Martin Short will not take the stage for his sold-out comedy shows in the wake of his daughter Katherine Hartley Short’s untimely death.
The Pabst Theater Group and the Orpheum Theatre announced via their websites on Tuesday, February 24, that Short, 75, and Steve Martin would be postponing their upcoming Friday, February 27, and Friday, February 28, stage shows in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota, respectively, “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Both venues stated that the purchased tickets would be honored for a future “rescheduled” date.
Prior to Martin, 75, and Steve’s show in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 28, a spokesperson for the Orpheum told Us Weekly it was unclear at the time as to whether the event would still take place.
Martin Short’s Daughter Katherine Short Found Dead at Age 42
A rep for Martin confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Katherine died at age 42.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss, and asks for privacy at this time,” a statement shared with Us on Tuesday, February 24, read. “Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
No further details were shared at the time. The Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed to Us that officers responded to a radio call of a possible suicide attempt in the Hollywood Hills on Tuesday, February, 23, at 6:43 p.m. Officers found a deceased female at the location. Her official cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Martin and late wife Nancy Dolman welcomed daughter Katherine and sons Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36, via adoption. Nancy died in August 2010 after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 58.
In the years since Dolman’s death, Martin has been candid about his experience with grief. In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, Martin admitted “it’s been a tough two years” for his children.
“This is the thing of life that we live in denial about, that it will ever happen to us or our loved ones, and when it does you gain a little and you suffer a little,” Martin said at the time. “There’s no big surprise.”
How Steve Martin and Martin Short Paid Tribute to Late Diane Keaton at Show
While reflecting on Dolman’s death during an interview with AARP, Martin shared that the pair’s marriage was a “triumph.”
“So it’s tough,” he told the outlet during the 2019 interview. “She died in 2010, but I still communicate with her all the time. It’s ‘Hey, Nan,’ you know? How would she react to this decision or that, especially regarding our three kids. I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them. This idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them — that’s wrong.”
He continued, “That’s based on denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, she’s still here. At the same time, her death emboldened me to take risks. With real tragedy, you become a little more daring. It’s the yin to the yang: the positive part of life’s dark side.”
While Martin had hoped his children would follow in his entertainment footsteps, his children ultimately decided to pursue different career paths.
“None of them wanted to go into show business, and I pushed them,” he said during an appearance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien in 2019. “I wanted them to go into show business. I make them do laps in the morning and I go to the balcony with my coffee and say, ‘Quitter! Do it again!’”
