Martin Short’s Relationship With Meryl Streep ‘a Bright Spot in His Life’ After Daughter’s Death

Martin Short‘s relationship with Meryl Streep has been “a very bright spot in his life” following the tragic death of his daughter Katherine, an insider tells In Touch.

“Everyone is so happy that Marty has Meryl in his life right now,” says the insider. “He’s endured so much, to lose Katherine, his only daughter, has been crushing [but] Meryl has helped him find some joy.”

As In Touch previously reported, a source says Streep, 76, and Martin, 76, have an “incredibly close” relationship, and “will probably spend the rest of their lives together,” however that ultimately looks for them.

“For a time, Martin was saying they should get married, but now he’s on the same page,” reveals the insider. “They feel zero need to formalize it.”

Short and Streep are content keeping their relationship out of the spotlight, too.

“Neither of them are in showbusiness for the fame. They perform because they love it, not because they want to pose for photos,” the insider notes. “They got a glimpse of the sort of frenzied attention pictures of them together got and they both agreed it wasn’t for them.”

On Sunday, May 17, a fan shared a photo on X of the cozy Only Murders in the Building costars enjoying a meal together in London — a post that’s racked up 4.2 million views as of press time.

“They just don’t want the hassle and the pressure,” adds the insider. “What they have is very sacred to them and they don’t want to jeopardize it by making a public spectacle of it.”