NEWSMartin Short's Late Wife Nancy Dolman's Sad Last Words Eerily Similar to Their Daughter Katherine's Final Wishes Before Tragic Suicide
Martin Short opened up about the heartbreaking link between his late wife and daughter's deaths.
May 15 2026, Updated 4:42 p.m. ET
Martin Short revealed his late wife Nancy Dolman's last four words were echoed in the tragic loss of their daughter, Katherine Short, years later.
In an interview published by a news outlet on Friday, May 15, the Only Murders in the Building star, 76, recalled his partner of 30 years telling him, "'Martin, let me go.'"
Martin Short Revealed Late Wife's Final Words
Martin Short and Nancy Dolman were married from 1980 to 2010.
Martin married Nancy in 1980, and the couple remained together until she died in 2010 at the age of 58 after a battle with ovarian cancer. In a more recent tragedy, the Treasure Planet star lost his 42-year-old daughter to suicide in February.
“Katherine was saying: 'Dad, let me go,'” he continued. “I don’t see any difference between mental illness as a disease and cancer as a disease. In some cases, both are terminal. And in some cases, both are survivable.”
Martin Short Lost Daughter Katherine in February
Katherine Short died by suicide in February.
The Merlin actor told the outlet that the loss of his adopted daughter was different than anything he had experienced.
“This is your child,” he explained. “I am trying to head toward the light.”
Apart from Katherine, Martin and Nancy also adopted sons Oliver, 40, and Henry, 36.
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Martin Short Called His Child's Death a 'Nightmare'
Martin Short called Katherine Short's death a 'nightmare loss' for their family.
The Frankenweenie actor echoed those thoughts during an appearance on CBS News Sunday Morning on May 10, calling the loss of Katherine "a nightmare for the family."
"But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife [had], are both diseases," he said. "Sometimes with diseases, they are terminal. My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn't."
Martin Short Felt Empowered to Speak Out on Suicide Following Daughter's Death
Martin Short urged others to not 'hide' behind suicide.
"So Nan's last words to me were, 'Martin, let me go.' And what she was saying was, 'Dad, let me go.' So I hold a deep desire. And that's why I'm involved in this organization, Bring Change to Mind ... taking mental health out of the shadows, not being ashamed of it, not hiding from the word 'suicide,' but accepting that this could be the last stage of an illness," the actor shared.
Katherine largely stayed out of the spotlight, though she occasionally attended events alongside her famous father. Before her death, she worked in a private practice as a licensed clinical social worker.
