‘Scandal’ Alum Columbus Short Reveals Reasons Behind Breakdown

Former Supporting Actress of Scandal Columbus Short is unraveled about the bad behavior that eventually led to his departure from the hit ABC series. “I struggled with drugs,” Short told Access Hollywood on Wednesday of conduct that included domestic abuse claims from his now-ex-wife. Short Tuere. “I had a lot of things on my plate, and you know, I used unhealthy ways to self-medicate and deal with a lot of the heavy lifting in my life.” Read more Actor, one of the original stars of Scandal, played Gladiator Harrison Wright in the film Shonda Rhimes the first three seasons of the political thriller. He left the series in April after being arrested in March for allegedly knocking out a man during a melee at a West LA restaurant. He faced four years in prison if found guilty, plus a restraining order from his wife later after she alleged he threatened her life during an altercation at home. their home in Chatsworth, Calif. She then filed for divorce and is seeking custody of their only 2-year-old daughter. On February 14, he was also charged with a misdemeanor offense against his wife, and on March 5, a judge ordered him to stay away from his wife, Short Tuere. He pleaded not guilty in that case. “I took cocaine and drank a lot, and was trying to balance my 16-hour work schedule and family, and I lost myself at that point.” The actor said Rhimes and his Scandal co-stars knew about his struggles with substance abuse and did what they could to help him.see more On the set with the Gladiators: Inside the fast-paced world of ABC’s ‘Scandal’ “They protected me and they held me back,” he said. “And that’s one of the real reasons – they just wanted me to gather my stuff together. Sometimes the bottom has to be left out for you to actually get it. So I moved to Atlanta. I’ve lived there for the last 5 months, the last 5 and a half months, and it’s been great. Life is changing. Short about the death of his friend, actor Lee Thompson Young (Rizzoli & Isles), sent him into a downward spiral. “I’ve been through a lot, gone through a lot in my marriage, I’ve had a lot of loss, a tragic loss so it’s been difficult,” he said. “Last year, one of my best friends died, he committed suicide, Lee Thompson Young, and that kind of started a spiral. I found out when I was on set, and it was really just, it pulled my leg off of me. “While Harrison was later killed off in the season four premiere, Short said he’s ready to go back to work – including in Scandal. “I’m actually ready to get back to work,” he said. “For Shonda shows, I don’t want to go back to Scandal. This is my family.” See Short’s interview, below. Do you remember him in Scandal? Hit the comments below with your thoughts. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Snoodit