Martin Short's Daughter Reportedly Dropped His Last Name Before Her Death

It has been three days since Martin Short lost his beloved daughter, and unknown details about her life continue to surface.

Katherine Short, the oldest of the comedian's three children, died by suicide on Monday, February 23. However, she stopped using her father's last name more than a decade ago.

Martin Short, a renowned actor and comedian, adopted a daughter and two sons during his three-decade marriage to Nancy Dolman. He is no stranger to loss, as his longtime partner died from ovarian cancer in August 2010.

Two years after his wife's passing, Martin's oldest child filed a motion to drop his last name. The 2012 petition recently resurfaced, revealing the deceased had implored a judge to change her name from "Katherine Elizabeth Short" to "Katherine Elizabeth Hartley."

In the documents reviewed by TMZ, Katherine explained that she wanted a new last name because of Martin's celebrity status. "I am a psychiatric social worker. I am concerned about potential harassment from future patients resulting from my association with my father," Katherine argued.

A judge granted her request in early 2013, allowing Katherine to garner multiple achievements in the service industry while avoiding the spotlight. She was rarely seen at public events with her father, with the outlet noting that she once accompanied Martin to a Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2011.

News of Katherine's name change came on the heels of her friend's shocking claims about her life. The Blast covered the story, reporting that the close pal named Rande Levine claimed Katherine had struggled with her mental health behind closed doors.

Levine recalled that there were times when Katherine would announce she needed to regain her spark and sign up for a rehabilitation program. These events occurred in the 2010s, with Levine noting that only those closest to Katherine were aware of her mental health struggles.

"You would never know based on how she presented herself, and how funny she was," Levine said about the persona Katherine showed the rest of the world. A neighbor echoed similar sentiments about Katherine's hidden mental health struggles, believing she must have been in "so much anguish" to take her life.

Katherine did not let her mental health struggles stop her from being the light in other people's lives, as she dedicated her life to helping others in similar situations. "She was such a wonderful, giving, loving human being," Levine shared.

Levine added that Katherine had been solely focused on helping others, noting she deeply resonated with the people she counseled. Martin's daughter left her mark at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, working there for four years before changing scenery.

Katherine moved on to a dual-diagnosis outpatient program at Camden Center and later worked part-time at Amae Health. She also volunteered at Bring Change 2 Mind, the mental health nonprofit founded by Glenn Close and her family, and founded her own practice.

More details about Katherine's hidden struggles arrived via her now-deleted professional website. The Blast shared that she had a biography tab dedicated to her service dog, Joni, whom she named after singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

In the section, Katherine had penned a tribute to Joni, revealing the service dog had been a great support system during her battles. "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.

The deleted website also highlighted some of Katherine's career, including her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Gender Sexuality Studies from New York University. Additionally, she obtained a master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

News of Katherine's name change followed a recent report about her father's mental state following her passing. The Blast noted that sources alleged the actor was beside himself with grief, and several of his friends rushed over to console him.

The list included Steven Spielberg, Kurt Russell, and Eugene Levy, who were spotted at Henry Shorts' home, one of Martin's two adopted sons. Sources claimed the efforts of the famous figures weren't enough to ease the pain in Martin's heart as he was "inconsolable."

"This loss has completely shattered him. He is gutted," the sources shared. Meryl Streep and Steve Martin have also been offering their love and support to Martin. Reports noted that Katherine's Hollywood Hills community has been sending letters to her home to showcase their support.

Katherine Short was 42 at the time of her passing.