Martin Short recently shared a touching tribute to his late daughter, Katherine, at Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit. It was a poignant message about mental health and the enduring power of love.
During the event, Gomez introduced a Katherine Short Legacy Award in honor of Short’s daughter, who “passed away by suicide earlier this year,” according to PEOPLE.
Martin Short makes tribute to this late daughter, Katherine
She then welcomed her Only Murders in the Building costar onstage, who began by advocating for mental illness to be seen as a real illness rather than a character flaw. In his view, his daughter’s struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) weren’t all that different from his late wife Nancy’s ovarian cancer.
“It has been a very difficult year for me, needless to say,” said Short. “It has been the heartbreak of our family, as you can imagine. But we have also understood in the last eight months — I think my whole family has understood — that mental health and cancer, which took my wife, for example, are both diseases. They are diseases, and sometimes diseases are terminal.”
“Katherine fought for so long with extreme mental health issues — borderline personality [disorder], other things — and she did the best she could until she couldn’t,” the actor continued, commending her for her “commitment” to “promoting open, compassionate conversations about mental health, and her commitment extended beyond her profession and well into the community.”
“So what an honor it is for me to be [here] helping present this award, which honors those creating lasting impact through their commitment to mental health and well-being.”
Short then spoke openly as a father about how the loss will forever be “devastating,” but it ultimately shows how much love his heart still holds.
“What we deeply love we can never lose”
“My pain about losing my daughter will always be present in my heart, and I think that’s simply because what we deeply love we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.”
Short’s words were more than a simple speech
His words prompted others who lost loved ones in similar ways to share their own stories:
“We lost our precious daughter to suicide 8 months ago. Your words are a replica of ours. Maria fought so hard here on this earth, but it couldn’t happen. You are a courageous soul to be raising awareness in spite of your pain,” one viewer shared.
Another wrote, “I lost my brother to suicide three months ago. I’ve never felt such pain. I don’t blame him, but I’ll never be the same because I love him so dearly.”
Grief and love are two sides of the human condition. We see different versions of this wisdom everywhere. Poet Jamie Anderson said, “Grief is love with no place to go.” Marvel’s 2021 miniseries hit, WandaVision, coined the stirring statement, “What is grief, if not love persevering?” Even Queen Elizabeth II is often credited with saying, “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
We see it everywhere because it’s true. Whether someone is lost under the most horrific circumstances or after a long, peaceful life, it hurts to lose them. But ultimately, that pain is a reflection of how deeply they were loved.
Furthermore, sharing our grief can help others recognize their own feelings in someone else’s story and remind those who are hurting that they don’t have to carry it all alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance misuse, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7
