Martin Short Spotted Out For First Time Since Daughter Katherine's Death

Martin Short hasn’t been seen much since his daughter Katherine‘s tragic death by suicide … but he stepped out Friday evening for dinner with a talented Hollywood director.

The longtime comic actor made an appearance in Santa Monica … wearing a neat black blazer over a button-down shirt.

Photogs got him jumping into a car driven by “Lost” co-creator J.J. Abrams, who is a longtime friend of Short’s.

Of course, Short hasn’t had much to smile about recently … on top of losing longtime friend Catherine O’Hara back in January, his daughter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound last month.

Katherine — who changed her name to Katherine Hartley to avoid being harassed by her social work clients — revealed her struggles with mental health issues in the past.

After her death, Short and his pal Steve Martin postponed shows their comedic tour … though they plan on getting back on the road April 11.

Katherine was 42.

RIP