The entertainment world remains in stunned silence after the public release of harrowing 911 emergency calls made from the Los Angeles home of comedy legend Martin Short on the night his daughter Katherine Elizabeth Short died. The audio, made available through a public-records request and first broadcast by several Los Angeles news outlets on February 27, 2026, captures the raw panic and disbelief of those present as they desperately attempted to save the 41-year-old actress and musician.

Katherine Short, known professionally as Kat Short, was found unresponsive in her bedroom shortly after 11 p.m. on February 24. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner has ruled the death an accident caused by combined toxic effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol (alcohol). No foul play is suspected.

The released calls—three separate 911 contacts made within roughly seven minutes—paint a devastating picture of a family in crisis. The first call begins with a woman, later identified as a close family friend staying at the house, screaming into the phone: “She’s not breathing! She’s blue! Please hurry!” The dispatcher calmly asks for the address and instructs the caller to begin CPR. In the background, Martin Short’s voice can be clearly heard—frantic, pleading—“Come on, baby girl, come on, breathe for Daddy.” The sound of compressions and muffled sobs fills the gaps between the dispatcher’s questions.

A second call is placed almost immediately after the first when the initial caller becomes too distraught to continue. This time it is Short himself on the line. His voice, usually so recognizable for its warmth and quick wit, is almost unrecognizable—shattered, gasping. “My daughter—she’s—she’s gone. She’s not moving. We’re doing compressions but she’s—she’s cold. Please just get here.” The dispatcher confirms help is en route and guides Short through rescue breaths. At one point he cries out, “I can’t lose her, I can’t lose her,” before the line fills with the sound of continued CPR efforts and distant sirens.

A third brief call is made by another person at the residence when paramedics arrive, confirming the exact location of the front door so responders can enter quickly.

The recordings, while heavily redacted for privacy, last a total of just over eleven minutes. They have circulated widely online despite efforts by Short’s representatives to limit their spread. Within hours of the first news reports, hashtags such as #MartinShort, #KatherineShort, and #RIPKatShort trended across platforms. Fans posted clips alongside tributes, old photos of father and daughter together, and messages of grief.

Martin Short has not commented publicly since issuing a brief family statement the day after Katherine’s death: “Our beautiful girl has left us far too soon. We are shattered. Please respect our privacy as we grieve and try to make sense of a world without her in it. Thank you for the love you have shown our family.”

Katherine Short was the youngest of Martin and the late Nancy Dolman Short’s three children. She followed her father into the entertainment industry, appearing in several independent films and television guest spots in the late 2000s and early 2010s. More recently she had focused on music, releasing folk-pop singles under the name Kat Short and performing at small venues in Los Angeles and New York. Friends described her as warm, funny, and deeply creative, with a laugh that echoed her father’s.

The toxicology findings have once again focused national attention on the opioid crisis in the entertainment community. Fentanyl contamination in recreational drugs has been linked to dozens of high-profile overdose deaths in recent years. While investigators have emphasized that Katherine’s death appears accidental, the presence of multiple substances has prompted renewed discussion about the dangers of mixing alcohol with powerful sedatives and stimulants.

Hollywood figures have rallied around the Short family. Steve Martin, Martin Short’s longtime friend and collaborator, posted a simple black square on Instagram with the caption “My brother’s heart is broken. Ours are too.” Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, and several Only Murders in the Building cast members have shared similar messages of support. Dozens of comedians and actors who have worked with Short over the decades have quietly reached out to offer help with memorial arrangements and grief counseling.

Public reaction has been overwhelmingly compassionate, though some online commentators have questioned why the 911 audio was released so quickly. California law allows such recordings to become public record once an investigation is closed and no criminal charges are pending. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the case was ruled accidental and closed within 48 hours of the death, making the calls subject to disclosure.

For many fans, hearing Martin Short’s voice—normally so full of joy and mischief—reduced to raw, desperate pleas has been profoundly painful. Clips of the audio have been viewed millions of times, often accompanied by viewer discretion warnings. Supporters have urged people to stop sharing the recordings out of respect for the family’s privacy.

Martin Short canceled all upcoming appearances, including a planned stand-up engagement in Toronto and a guest spot on a late-night talk show. A private memorial service for Katherine is expected to be held in the coming weeks, with a public celebration of her life potentially scheduled later in the spring.

The loss has reminded the entertainment industry—and the public—how fragile even the brightest lives can be. Katherine Short was 41, the same age her father was when he first became a household name on SCTV. She leaves behind two older brothers, a grieving father, and countless friends who remember her smile, her music, and the way she lit up every room she entered.

In the days since the 911 calls became public, one sentiment has echoed across social media and beyond: Martin Short has spent a lifetime making people laugh. Now the world is trying, however imperfectly, to return the favor by surrounding him with love and silence in equal measure.

Hollywood has lost one of its own. A father has lost his daughter. And a family that has given so much joy to others now needs the world to give a little back.