Another reason to love Martin Short came to light this weekend from a surprising source. Chance the Rapper bumped into the comedy icon on a flight and revealed that Short gave up his seat on the flight so Chance’s daughter Kensli could sit next to her father. Chance and his wife, Kristen Corley, are parents to two daughters, Kensli, 7. and Marli, 3.
Chance, real name Chancelor Bennett, said he was on a flight with Kensli but they could not sit next to each other. The rapper did not want to inconvenience anyone, but then a “kind older gentleman” offered his seat to Kensli so they could sit together. Incredibly, this man turned out to be Short.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“We both said thank you and as he stands up, I realize it’s THE Martin Short,” Chance tweeted on Sunday. “So cool and Kensli freaked out ’cause she’s obsessed with The Santa Clause 3. What an awesome person! SHOUTOUT TO JACK FROST.” Short has not commented on the chance run-in with Chance yet.
A fan later asked Chance if he thought Short knew who he was. “Definitely not, which made it way cooler. He just a nice dude ig,” Chance replied. When another fan joked that they would rather sit next to Short and let their daughter sit alone, Chance had a funny response. “‘Oh thanks so much but the little girl will be fine where she is… *opens laptop* ANYWAYS this a Lil script I’ve been working on it’s called Four Amigos!’” he wrote.
Chance is known for his own acts of kindness. The Grammy winner is a busy activist in his native Chicago, where he runs a nonprofit called Social Works. In April 2022, he marked his 29th birthday by giving away 1,500 free meals to his community, notes PEOPLE. Chance founded the organization in 2016 to help Chicago youth through arts, education, and civic programs.
The rapper is also a three-time Grammy winner, earning Best New Artist, Best Rap Album for Coloring Book, and Best Rap Performance for “No Problem” in 2017. He released several singles last year, including “Child of God,” “A Bar Without a Bar” and “The Highs & The Lows.” Chance will make his debut as a coach on NBC’s The Voice on March 6, 2023, alongside Niall Horan and returning coaches Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson.
Short now stars in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series last year. The series was created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. Production is now underway on Season 3, with Ashley Park, Paul Rudd, Jessie Williams, and Meryl Streep joining Selena Gomez, Short, and Martin in the star-studded cast.