Canadian actor Martin Short honoured his late daughter, Katherine, during Selena Gomez’s fourth annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

During the event, which raises funds for youth mental health, Gomez introduced a new award “in memory of Katherine Short, Martin Short’s daughter, who passed away by suicide earlier this year,” People reports.

Gomez introduced the Katherine Short Legacy Award and said that the honour “means a lot to me.

4:58 Martin Short opens up about the loss of his daughter

“Katherine was a social worker who devoted her own career to helping people through some of their hardest points,” Gomez said. “This award will carry her name forward by honouring people who have made that same kind of commitment to their communities.”

“Marty has been my friend for many years, and 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 said.

Gomez welcomed Short to the stage to help present the new award and the 76-year-old actor spoke about his family’s grief following the passing of Katherine, who died in February.

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“It has been a very difficult year for me, needless to say,” Short 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. They are diseases, and sometimes diseases are terminal,” he continued.

Katherine was the eldest of the three children Short adopted with his late wife Nancy Dolman, who died of ovarian cancer at age 58 in 2010. The actor also has two sons, Oliver Short, 40, and Henry Short, 37.

Short said that his daughter’s death “will be devastating to my soul as long as I’ll live.”

“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 Father of the Bride actor said.

“And that’s why it’s so important what Selena’s doing tonight, raising these kinds of funds and awareness to help people understand that mental health is simply an illness, not to be hidden in the shadows or perceived as a family embarrassment,” Short added.

“The great Dolly Parton once said, ‘Grief is love with no place to go.’ 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 actor continued.

Short said that his daughter “devoted herself to her profession” as a clinical social worker and promoted “open, compassionate conversations about mental health.”

“Her commitment extended beyond her profession and well into the community. So what an honour it is for me to be [here] helping present this award, which honours those creating lasting impact through their commitment to mental health and well-being,” he concluded.

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In February, a representative for Short announced that his daughter Katherine had died at the age of 42.

“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” a representative for the actor said in a statement.

“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.”

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told USA Today that personnel responded to a Hollywood Hills address associated with Katherine. They identified an “approximately 41-year-old female” who was dead.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that Katherine’s manner of death was determined to be suicide.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. If you are in a crisis and need immediate mental health support, call 988.

, and (1-800-668-6868) all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.

Over the weekend, Clarkson took to X to share her alleged experience, writing, “Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me.”

“Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale,” Clarkson continued. “But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out.”

Clarkson was referencing the scene in the film Pretty Woman when Roberts’ character, Vivian Ward, attempts to spend money at a boutique on Rodeo Drive before she is dismissed by the store staff who doesn’t believe she can afford the clothes in the shop.

On Sunday, the business posted a carousel to their Instagram account sharing their side of the alleged experience with the 44-year-old singer.

“Yesterday, Kelly Clarkson visited us in Brooklyn and inquired about buying ‘Molly,’ a one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton who plays an important role in the magic shows we host here,” the store’s Instagram post read.

“Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale. However, the negative experience Kelly described on twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop,” the post continued.

Art of Play said that whether someone “comes in to make a purchase or simply look around for a while, they are equally welcome.”

3:52 Kelly Clarkson abruptly cancels Las Vegas show; Anne Hathaway opens up about latest gig

“We greet everyone who walks in the door with the invitation to ‘pick up things and play.’ And they do, many stay for hours enjoying our puzzles, games and toys,” the store added.

“Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store. It’s been a surreal experience to be the focus of such widespread outrage after just one mention by a celebrity,” the post continued.

Art of Play thanked the store’s friends “for their support and welcome to all the curious folks who have discovered us amidst the drama.”

“We’re going to keep our heads down and hopefully, we can clear things up with Kelly someday. As a talented popular singer once said ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,'” the post concluded.

Clarkson took to X to respond to Art of Play’s version of the interaction on Sunday, writing, “Cool, cool. Sure, it wasn’t for sale. That’s the narrative Art of Play is gonna go with so the whole conversation we had when I asked you if it was for sale whilst pointing to the price tag hanging on the wall with the title Singing Bird didn’t happen as you elevator eyed me saying in a condescending tone ‘yes, it’s for sale but it costs 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.'”

“So you’re not only rude, you’re also a liar. Got it. And by the way, I obviously support small businesses because I was literally at a small business trying to purchase things,” Clarkson continued.

“I love small businesses and know they are important and I always support them, but you don’t get a free pass to treat people less than in your store just because you are a small business,” she wrote.

“It’s not that hard to be kind. I never blast people but you my friend were an exception. Your store is cool. Unfortunately, you aren’t,” Clarkson added.

In a follow-up post, Art of Play said the shop would like to “clarify some additional details about Kelly Clarkson’s visit to our Curiosity Shop on Saturday.”

The store alleged that during the five minutes Clarkson spent in the store, she inquired about their mechanical bird puppet named Molly.

“We explained that while Molly is permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop, a nearly identical automaton is owned by the creator of the machines, a brilliant artist named Bliss Kolb who lives in Seattle,” the store said.

“He told us he would be willing to part with Molly’s twin for $15,000. We explained all of this to Kelly Clarkson,” Art of Play added.

Art of Play said that the store offered to show Clarkson a different singing bird automaton, made by a traditional clockmaking shop in Germany, that the Since U Been Gone singer could have taken home with her that day.

“It costs about $2,000. She did not stick around long enough to see it. We’ve reached out to Kelly directly to try and clear the air. We really do wish her the best and hope that someday we can all laugh about this misunderstanding,” the post concluded.

The item Clarkson was looking to purchase was a mechanical singing bird named Molly.

Art of Play describes the bird as “an automata, an elaborate mechanical puppet that creates the illusion of life.”

When the crank on the bird is turned, Molly begins to sing and dance.

“The illusion is uncanny and we have come to develop a real affection for Molly,” Art of Play added in an Instagram post.

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In February 2025, the bird lost her voice and stopped singing, according to the shop.

The creator “flew across the country to give Molly a tune up” and now the bird “is singing and dancing better than ever.”

“However, she remains very delicate and very expensive so Molly is one of the few items in the shop that has a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign,” the shop added. “During the day, she likes to rest on her perch, still and silent. But on the weekends, Molly performs as the opening act for the shows at 69 Atlantic.”

One of the co-owners of Art of Play told USA Today that the shop has been “overwhelmed” since Clarkson criticized the shop to her 8.8 million followers on X.

Adam Rubin, one of the co-owners, told the outlet that the shop’s phone and emails have been “flooded with threatening messages” and their neighbours “have been doxxed.”

“We are afraid for the safety of our shopkeepers,” Rubin said. “Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger.”

He also said that no one in the shop recognized Clarkson when she entered Art of Play and added that the store was “packed.”

0:30 Kelly Clarkson claims Country music ‘is gone’

Rubin said Clarkson was there for “less than five minutes.”

“We treated her like a normal person but apparently that did not live up to her expectations,” Rubin said, alleging that the Breakaway singer scolded an employee.

“Nothing happened in this shop to justify her scolding our shopkeeper on the way out, but I could let that go. Everybody has a bad day,” he said. “But things changed when she used her platform to attack us. It’s asymmetrical social warfare.”

Rubin also said that the shop’s sales have “surged” and they are now seeing a spike in foot traffic.

The co-owner of the shop also revealed that Molly, the bird that began the back-and-forth between Clarkson and Art of Play, is now on sale and the price is listed as $15 million.

Footage of Clarkson visiting the Brooklyn shop has been acquired and released by journalist Pablo Torre, who hosts the investigative podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out.

In the footage, which has no audio, Clarkson can be seen wearing sunglasses, a bright yellow T-shirt, baggy jeans, a baseball hat and a backpack.

She entered the store with her children and browses around the shop, picking up a few items as other shoppers continue to enter the store.

An alternative camera angle shows Clarkson standing in front of the automaton bird and the Stronger singer begins speaking with one of the employees.

The footage shows Clarkson and the employee having a conversation before the employee appears to point at something in the shop.

After Clarkson and the employee part ways, the employee appears to help other customers in the store.

The footage also shows Clarkson putting back the items she was holding and walks towards the door.

Before exiting the shop, Clarkson begins speaking to another employee behind the front counter.

Clarkson’s first post on social media about the store took place exactly 15 minutes after she exited the shop, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Russell Brand was described in a London court Wednesday as a “ruthless” sexual predator by U.K. prosecutors during opening statements of a court case where he is accused of rape and other sex crimes against six women.

The 51-year-old actor, comedian and podcast host has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault on charges and alleged offences that occurred between 1999 and 2009.

2:00 Russell Brand trial: Jury selection begins for rape, sexual assault case

The six women, who do not know each other, were allegedly assaulted by Brand in “a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at his home address,” prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London, the Associated Press reported.

She described Brand as being “indiscriminate and voracious” in his pursuit of sexual contact at the time of the alleged assaults and said he viewed women as a “means to an end.”

She also said Brand was capable of being funny and charming and described him as a “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”

“He was ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative,” she continued.

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The earliest assault he is accused of is said to have occurred in 1999, when Brand allegedly raped a woman in a hotel room during a Labour Party conference. Brand, who was a fledgling comedian at the time, was performing in a cabaret production in the coastal town of Bournemouth, where the conference was taking place.

Another victim alleges that two years later, he tried to pull her into the men’s toilet of an office building where she worked.

“There can be little doubt as to what Mr. Brand’s intention was,” Karmy-Jones said.

A third woman alleges that Brand assaulted her in 2004 in a toilet cubicle of a London bar, and told her not to be a “spoilsport” when she asked him to stop.

The other charges relate to a woman who says Brand kissed and groped her at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005, a then-21-year-old fan who says Brand anally raped her at his home after she met him at one of his shows in 2009; and a woman who says Brand demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during the recording of an advertisement in 2009.

None of the alleged victims reported the assaults at the time of the crimes because they felt ashamed, guilty and feared they would be blamed, the prosecutor told the jury.

The jurors will hear from the women later in the trial, which is expected to last about 10 weeks.

Brand, who is on bail, denies all the charges.

He told journalists outside the South London court that he felt “blessed,” and “hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved.”

Known for risque stand-up routines and his battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek.

In recent years, he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos that focus on wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his newfound religious devotion.

In an April podcast interview with Megyn Kelly, he said that he had “exploitative” consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl when he was 30 years old.

During the podcast, Brand described his past self as “selfish” and an “exploiter of women.”

“I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30. When I was 30, I was a very different person. I was a lot younger, and I was an immature 30-year-old,” he said.

“Me as a 30-year-old, I have no business having consensual sex with women that were just past girls, that were just over the age of consent.”

Brand — who says he has since become a devout Christian added that his access to drugs and women at the height of his fame provided him with an opportunity for “endless consent” that led him to be a “hedonist” and a “fool.”

Speaking to Kelly on the sexual assault allegations he is currently on trial for, Brand said, “What I’m obviously not only querying but violently, aggressively, assertively opposing is the idea that this [having sex with an abundance of women] is a judicial criminal matter where consent was overridden … actually, what happened was consent was directed.”

“Consensual sex with a lot of people, when there is a strong power differential, as there is when you are a famous man who has the ability to attract women that I had at that time, I think, involves exploitation. I think it is exploitative,” he added, later estimating that he had sexual contact with “thousands” of women between the mid-1990s and 2015.

— with files from the Associated Press