Comedy legend Martin Short got emotional while paying tribute to his late daughter, Katherine Short, at a recent event in Los Angeles.
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Short was on hand with his Only Murders in the Building co-star, Selena Gomez, at the Rare Impact Fund Benefit on Oct. 14. Gomez, who founded Rare Beauty, unveiled the new Katherine Short Legacy Award in honor of Short's late daughter, who died by suicide at 42 last February.
"There is one part of tonight that means a lot to me," Gomez told the audience at the event at Hollywood Palladium, per PEOPLE. "Katherine was a social worker who devoted her own career to helping people through some of their hardest points."
"This award will carry her name forward by honoring people who have made that same kind of commitment to their communities," the 34-year-old singer and actress continued.
Gomez then invited Martin Short to the stage to accept the award.
"I know how deeply he loves his family," she said. "I'm very grateful that he's here tonight to help us present it for the first time."
"It has been a very difficult year for me, needless to say," Short told the audience. "It has been the heartbreak of our family, as you can imagine."
Martin Short Opens Up About His Daughter's Struggles with Mental Health
The 76-year-old then went on to mention his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010.
"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," Short shared. "They are diseases, and sometimes diseases are terminal."
"She did the best she could until she couldn't," an emotional Short added about his late daughter's mental health struggles, which reportedly included borderline personality disorder. "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."
The SNL and SCTV alum pointed out that Katherine, who worked as a clinical social worker, had "compassionate conversations about mental health" during her career spent helping people.
"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," he concluded.
The beloved actor shares two sons with his late wife, Oliver Short, 40, and Henry Short, 37.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline?. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.
