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Selena Gomez and Martin Short paid tribute to the actor’s late daughter, Katherine Short, with an award at the Rare Impact Fund Benefit on Wednesday night.
The Rare Beauty founder unveiled the new Katherine Short Legacy Award in memory of the 42-year-old “who passed away by suicide” on Feb. 23
“There is one part of tonight that means a lot to me,” she told attendees during the star-studded event at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, 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,” Gomez, whose organization raises money for youth mental health services, continued.
The actress, 34, opened up about her “many years” of friendship with Martin, adding, “I know how deeply he loves his family. I’m very grateful that he’s here tonight to help us present it for the first time.”
Gomez’s “Only Murders in the Building” co-star, 76, then joined her on stage to accept the award with an emotional speech.
“It has been a very difficult year for me, needless to say,” Martin said. “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,” he said, referring to his late wife, Nancy Dolman, who died in 2010 following an ovarian cancer diagnosis.
“They are diseases, and sometimes diseases are terminal.”
The actor then vulnerably opened up about Katherine’s “long” fight with “extreme mental health issues,” including borderline personality disorder.
The National Institute of Mental Health defines borderline personality disorder as “a serious mental illness that affects how a person feels about themselves and others and makes it hard to function in everyday life.”
“She did the best she could until she couldn’t,” Martin continued in his speech. “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 “Innerspace” star praised his daughter’s work as a clinical social worker and the “open” and “compassionate conversations about mental health” that she committed herself to through her profession.
“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,” Martin concluded.
A rep for Martin confirmed Katherine’s death in February with a heartbreaking statement that read, “The Short family is devastated by this loss, and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”
Katherine’s death certificate confirmed she passed away due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound while at her Hollywood Hills, California, home.
One neighbor told Us Weekly that Katherine showed no indication that she was struggling with her mental health, describing her as friendly and “quite outgoing.”
Martin and Nancy also shared two sons, Oliver Short, 40, and Henry Short, 37.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.