Conan O’Brien closed out the 2026 Academy Awards with a solemn tribute to Martin Short, whose daughter died weeks before the ceremony.
“It’s been an honor and a joy,” O’Brien, 62, said at the end of the Sunday, March 15, broadcast. “We love you, Marty Short, goodnight.”
Just three weeks before the Oscars, news broke that Katherine Hartley Short died by suicide at age 42.
“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a rep for Martin, 75, told Us Weekly in a statement last month. “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.”
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Martin shared Katherine, who worked as a social worker, with late wife Nancy Dolman. The Only Murders in the Building star and Dolman, who died in 2010 after battling ovarian cancer, also shared sons Oliver, 39, and Henry, 36.
Martin has since canceled his public appearances in light of Katherine’s death, including the 2026 Actor Awards earlier this month despite a nomination for Only Murders.
While Martin and his family have remained quiet following Katherine’s death, he’s received support by his Hollywood peers.
“My favorite guys,” Martin’s Only Murders costar Selena Gomez wrote via her Instagram Stories on March 4, sharing a pic of Martin and their colleague Steve Martin. “I’II always be there for them as they have been for me. Love you Steve and l love you, Marty.”
One of Katherine’s neighbors, meanwhile, told Us that she showed “no indication of struggle” before her death.
“Depression is often a silent [and a] hidden killer,” the anonymous acquaintance exclusively told Us. “Katherine was a private person but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t friendly. She was quite outgoing. She always said, ‘Hi.’ She was a voracious reader and could talk deeply about the books she’d read. She had the nicest, most beautiful orange tree in her front yard. It was the envy of all the neighbors.”
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A second neighbor, for their part, told Us that Katherine’s death was “incredibly sad.”
“She was very nice but this is a quiet neighborhood and to be fair, we don’t see too many neighbors usually out,” the second resident noted, recalling how Martin’s daughter often kept to herself.
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